8 Tricks to Building Your Visual Journaling Habit
Plus an invitation to a free journaling workshop
Making art won’t just happen. You need to provide favorable conditions.
I’ve gone through phases of life when working in my journals feels impossible.
Family commitments take priority, administrative tasks hoard my time, or some unpredictable life event robs me of creative moments.
These are all normal circumstances for humans just doing the business of living.
Sometimes, life has a mind of its own, and we don’t always get to follow the sparkly schedule of our dreams.
Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to help me get into (and stay in) a creative habit.
I’ve learned that I’m better when I heed my longings to make art. You may have discovered that about yourself, too.
Making things isn’t just fun; it keeps us healthier and truly happier. Engaging in the creative process generates feelings of contentment lasting well beyond our active “making” time.
How, then, can we make this an achievable priority?
When times have gotten tough for me,
these are some “secrets” I’ve found helpful
to get going and keep going:
Keep it small (both in size and time). Keep the physical size of your artwork small. I love working in 5” x 5” or smaller journals. It means I don’t need hours to finish a page; often, I can finish one in ten minutes or less.
Keep your supplies where you can see them and where you are likely to have those ten minutes to spare. Maybe you can start a sketch while the coffee brews early in the morning. Maybe you can doodle while waiting in the carpool line, on your lunch break, or waiting for your next client to arrive.
Stop expecting perfection. Listen. We’re going for being “in the act” here, not being the next Frida Kahlo or Picasso. Just. Make. Something. As Cathy, one of my coaching clients, has wisely stated, “Doing it is better than not doing it.” I’m granting you permission to make endless crappy pages just for the sake of falling down that delightful, creative rabbit hole.
Let yourself get distracted. Getting lost in curiosity, what-ifs, and inconsequential experimentation is welcome and encouraged. Go for it. Try it! No one else needs to see it. We’re not competing with anyone here.
Keep it to yourself. Speaking of “no one else needs to see it,” - release yourself of that pressure. Why do you need to show anyone? You don’t unless you want to. You have the freedom to choose, and if the thought of sharing what you make stops you in your tracks, then choose creativity over comparison and don’t show anyone. This is for you, not them.
Start with an open-ended question. “What happens if I do ___”? Questions are great fodder for imagination. Instead of sitting down with an expectation, you’re sitting down to puzzle out a result. Whatever you create is what happens if you do ______. There’s no right or wrong.
Location, location, location. As helpful as keeping your supplies within sight can be, if they’re within sight somewhere incompatible with carrying out the creative act, then what’s the point? I would love to journal in my morning reading chair, but it doesn’t work because I don’t have anywhere to keep the supplies that attract me most right now. If I wanted to use just a pencil and pen on paper, fine, but I love to use watercolor. That means I need to keep my supplies in sight with a countertop or desk available.
Ambiance is also important. You’d be surprised how much moody lighting, a lit candle, or the right music can flip a creative switch in your brain. Play around with different combinations until you find one that helps you construct an ideal creative atmosphere for you. Then, when you enter that space specially curated for your personal process, your body will sense it’s time to get playful.
Which one of these tricks might work for you?
On Monday, November 27th, we had our last Open Studio Session before registration closes on Thursday, November 30th at 8 PM EST.
But have no regrets! You can watch the replay here.
(It’s fun, even if you’re already sure INSPIRED isn’t your thing right now. Just gift yourself the time to enjoy!)
If you missed our first Celebration Studio Session, you can view that replay here.
Bring your supplies!
Paint: watercolor, acrylic, gouache, tempera - whatever is easy!
Paper: 2- 4 pieces of mixed media or card stock
Your journal or other “Final” loose-leaf paper
Mark-making tools: pens and pencils
Weird objects from around the house that might be fun to drag through paint or use as stamps
Adhesive: glue stick, acrylic medium, Mod Lodge, Elmers, tape. Whatever you have.
Scissors
Markers, colored pencils, crayons (optional)
Any old magazine you don’t mind cutting up a tiny bit
INSPIRED can help you finally build that creative habit.
Here’s how:
We have a new journal prompt each month to help you cross the barrier of not knowing where to start. Too many ideas? Just pick one prompt and start there. Not enough ideas? Take some time to browse the entire collection of prompts and wait for something to strike you.
A library of over 40 process videos. Not sure you have enough skill? Throw that one to the curb. Remember, this is about curiosity and experimentation. Everything is okay - especially mistakes. But if you feel like you need a little more structure, the library awaits your perusal. This can also be helpful if you’re an experienced artist but feeling stuck. Seeing the process through another artist’s eyes can open up new possibilities and questions for you.
Studio Sessions. Need an excuse to book creative time on your calendar? It’s right here. You’re paying for this! It’s an appointment you must attend! (I’m just kidding. It’s totally up to you, but sometimes these little mind tricks help us stick to things we’d like to stick to but don’t otherwise prioritize.) It is your monthly therapeutic arts appointment, friend!! (Not to be confused with art therapy, which it is not. It’s simply art that feels therapeutic as we make it). Studio sessions give us the “container” of dedicated time, a new prompt to play with, and a community of lovely art friends to do it with.
Co-Work Hours. Each month, we set aside an hour to meet over Zoom and get some work done on our own projects. If you’re having trouble nailing down time to do your thing, this is another opportunity to prioritize your needs by penciling it in on the calendar. We visit for a few minutes, share what we intend to work on, work for 45-50 minutes, and then check back in at the end to share our progress.
Our private Forum offers a safe space to share our work, process, and “Aha!” moments. Dialogue is often how we learn about ourselves and our work, and hearing what other creative people are doing can ignite new ideas for ourselves.
INSPIRED is experimental and playful, built around having fun and developing your style through curiosity.
Our journal prompts are bite-sized invitations into questions or processes you can repeat over and over again, and all of our content is presented in small portions, ideal for a busy schedule.
Everything is available on demand - even the replays of the Studio Sessions if you can’t attend live.
And… if you’re reading this, thinking, “This all sounds great, but I don’t like working in a book,” don’t let the whole “journaling” thing stop you. Everything we do in INSPIRED can be done outside a journal, too. I just call that a “Loose Leaf Journal”.
“The Latin meaning for Inspired is everything INSPIRED has been for me: breathe into. move. influence. guide. INSPIRED has checked all these boxes for me and Sara's influence and guidance has breathed new life into my art - and I am quite moved by it”.
- INSPIRED member
“Inspired has helped me to understand your process and how I can use that to create my own art in my own style. It literally makes me feel 'inspired', creative and also gives me this calm beautiful feeling watching you create. Even if I am not live, I love participating in the studio sessions, and the little tips and tricks I have picked up along the way are great.”
- INSPIRED member
If you decide INSPIRED is for you, use the code
5offNov23
at checkout to get $5 off your monthly subscription price for the duration of your membership.
That means each month is only $20 - the lowest price it will ever be.
**Doors for open enrollment are closing on November 30th at 8 pm EST and won’t re-open again until Spring 2024 at a new, higher price.**
I can’t wait to meet you officially!
XO,
Sara
Oh! And PS - If you know someone who’d enjoy the free session or the tips on building a creative habit, please pass this email along to them!
Ready for a deeper dive into your art and self-awareness?
My favorite course, Visually You, starts in February and is open for early enrollment.
Use code VY24EarlyBird to get 10% off through December 3rd.