Art and writing are often two sides of the same coin. Whether you are drawing, painting, writing or creating mixed media works of art, you are expressing your inner thoughts and feelings through a creative medium.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as an artist, art journaling can be an inspiring and liberating addition to your normal writing practice. It lets you combine words and visual art in countless different ways, giving you new perspectives you may have missed otherwise.
Art Journaling in Action
Collages
Creating a series of collages is an easy and fun way to introduce art into your journal. Start small and begin gluing in visual mementos that complement your written journal entries. For example, paste a postcard of New York City to go along with an entry about your vacation there or a label from the wine bottle you served at your last dinner party while recounting a funny story about your guests.
There are no limits to what you include in your art journaling collages: leaves from nature walks, restaurant menus, photographs, magazine clippings, even fabric from old clothes. Experiment using simple tools, such as scissors, stamps, markers and colored pencils, to enhance the visual appeal, and add words as you feel inspired.
You can discover more about collages in Creative Journaling with Art: Making a Self-Portrait.
Sketches
Sometimes you may struggle with finding the perfect words to describe a place that is meaningful to you or an event that had a powerful effect on you. Draw it instead, and bring the experience to life in a visual way. Pick up a pencil or pen or crayon and sketch out the details in your journal. Once you have finished your artwork, try to write about it again. You may find that the words flow more easily after sketching.
Getting Messy
Art journaling is exciting and freeing because it lets you get your hands dirty and experiment with different media. Go through the art supplies in your house and get creative testing them out: charcoal, paints, watercolors, glitter, stencils… have fun with it!
Do you ever art journal? What are you favorite ways to combine art and writing?
If you want to learn how journaling can help you tackle life's challenges and find new ways to inspire creativity in your life, please download the free eBook, The Journaling Guide to Manage The Stress and Strains of Life.