Going Live! Share to Keep an Art Journal

Keep an Art Journal - Room to Create 2

Here you can see what I was talking about in the previous post I'll try to describe going clockwise from about 11:00.

1. single-item-depth shelf above treadmill
2. acres of table space looking at pegboard corner
3. Same as 2 only you can see the top of the new wheely-drawer behind the stool
4. Wire drawers with finished work, sewing machine as well as pin board above
5. Wider view of 4
6. part of clothes line, top of rolls in bucket, treadmill as paper holder, single depth shelf, large shelves and in the distance small shelf of large items

Having the clutter in manageable spaces inspires me to clear the table at night and to put out new stuff to begin every day - isn't that we want?

Keep an Art Journal - Room to create

I decided to do whatever it takes/took to clear off my workspace - my 10 foot table - in such a way that I could have more than a square foot of workspace. I have been meaning to put up this pegboard for the entire summer. Finally got it cut, painted and sanded a month ago and NOW it is up and loaded. This was just the beginning. I cleared rolls of paper and other necessary items into standing buckets and waste baskets. Added a shelf above my treadmill that is one-item deep and easy to reach, added a large paint storage shelf and sorted ephemera to bottles, jugs and jars. Also made a clothes line arrangement for prepped paper in between uses. I did splurge and buy a second set of plastic-wheely drawers and have moved my rubber stamps into it. I have had stamps 6 inches deep in bins and have no idea what I have or where - no longer true! Also reorganized my semi-organized wire drawers so I can find things. Decided it is okay to have things stand on the sideboards as I don't need to work there.

ALL this allowed for my table to emerge to the point I could put a clean paper cover on it. Now the real work begins - changing habits so that I actually put things away at the end of the day or the end of the project. It has been a week and so far I am putting 90% of my things away each night. There are always the things that need to dry sitting out and usually a few things awaiting processing the next day but overall I suddenly have expansive room to create!

The Heart of the Matter

Why I Art Journal
I had an idea that I would like to use some old ledger pages for collaging and decided to add a new ledger page that would tally all the things that I use and use up on a daily basis. Since it was on ledger paper I added up the new tally and came to a grand total of $37.00 give or take a few pennies. On a side note, I thought of several things that I did not add to the list that I use on a daily basis. Like I did not add in the daily amount of utilities and phone costs and car gasoline consumed just to make it through my day. So back to the $37.00. I was mucking about looking for a focal point and thought this bag with a gold Sacajawea dollar in it would look good on the page and was busily attaching it when my eye fell on the image of the little African child licking a minute amount of food from his/er fingers so as not to miss a single bit of meal.
Feed this child for $5.00 a month.
According to this my daily consumption - DAILY - would feed this child for seven months or seven children for a month...What will it take for me to lower my consumption by $5.00 a day? Could I do it and sponsor one child a day for a year? The thought is staggering.

To Keep an Art Journal As Practice

To keep an art journal is a ‘practice’ as in meditation and yoga.

Every day in your meditation or in your yoga you bring a different ‘you’ to the practice. A simple example of this is that on some days you have not had enough sleep and your meditation or your yoga will reflect that fact. Another example, once in a while you will have a glass of wine with dinner and then have another after dinner. Not only will the meditation and yoga be affected, but any exercise - and in a way - any motivation, will be affected.

When you set out to keep an art journal as a spiritual practice it will be the same. Some days you will be brilliant and many days you will be average and some days you will just suck.

Once you decide that you are going to keep an art journal on a daily or semi-weekly basis, you will immediately come up against impossible obstacles to doing so. These obstacles are exactly why you haven’t already started – press through. Growing is not always comfortable and one way to add in a new practice is to make it more uncomfortable to not do it than it is to do it. For example if you promised yourself that you would work in your art journal at least twice a week and you made it Monday, but forgot all about it until 11:30 pm Saturday – make yourself do at least a portion of a page anyway. You will teach your mind that you are serious about starting this practice and you are going to do it no matter what! It may take a few late nights or missed dinner dates, but your mind will get the message.

For the best results in using this ‘practice’ you want to cultivate a non-judging attitude. With frequent and regular practice you will bring yourself to the page with more creative confidence and learn to trust the process and yourself.

I use an affirmation that one of my journaling teachers gave me, “Create to be authentic, not perfect.”

To Keep an Art Journal as a practice is actually a practice in being authentic.

Insights

You know insights seem to happen in the moment, but there are a myriad of things that lead up to having the insight. In this case I went to the Denver Art Museum (first time), visited a friend's studio (and nearly drooled), have been reading magazines and books on my particular art genre, and also have been collaging quite a bit since early December to complete 2008 and envision 2009. I think that all of these 'doings' led to my insight.

I write, and as a writer it is very important to read. Every class, workshop and many books I have read about writing, all recommend lots of reading. And it is recommended that a person read all kinds of things to see how other folk do it – not so you do it like them, but so you see different ways and methods that you can use.

Insight - It's the same with art! To create, no matter what form of creativity you choose, it will serve you to surround yourself with an environment of art! I am not saying you need to move or buy a new house or tons of original art. But you could get an annual pass to the local Art Museum, make a point of visiting the summer art fairs, subscribe to an art magazine, join an art association for your type of art or participate in an art group.

We all know (we do - don't we?) that insights are worthless if they are not followed with effective action. So for your first action get out a pen and your journal and list what actions you will take to bring art to your daily environment.