By Lyn Alderson.
As a professional writer, I’m used to journaling using written words- but about 10 years ago I started making excursions into visual journaling- combining words with images.
I’d been attending an art group as a complete beginner and realized that when I made art I was happy. It had an automatic stress-busting effect. While I was creating something visual I felt more relaxed and the part of my brain prone to anxious thoughts would just switch off.
I began by painting flowers and other natural objects, but then I started keeping an art journal which was more personal and expressive. I put my daily thoughts and emotions into it- it was a sort of illustrated diary.
This form of creative journaling seems to link my external world to my inner life in a very profound way.
For example, I started one day by drawing some vegetation, but then I drew a woman’s arm entwined with it. The woman’s hand was reaching out with an open palm.
I realized this symbolized the frustrating time I’d had trying to find answers to a particular dilemma in my life. The vegetation which was thick and difficult to push through represented the complexity of some inter-personal issues that were going on with family members.
My outstretched hand was reaching for a definite solution, and the fact that my arm was tangled up meant I felt trapped and frustrated by the actions and attitudes of other people.
Alongside the image I began to write about the difficulties I’d had that particular year and how I felt stuck in an impasse. I knew something needed to change.
This visual self-therapy helped me decide that I would push through to a solution and not allow myself to stay trapped. It took another few months, but I resolved the issue and afterwards knew I’d made the right decision.
I find that the process of drawing external objects often triggers thoughts and feelings, which I can express in words and images. The process works the other way too. You can start with a feeling and turn it into a picture.
My visual journaling is often quite upbeat. One day my daughter, my son and I had a very rare opportunity to sit together in the sun, sketching. My sketch is simply my daughter doing her drawing, and my notes alongside it reflect my joy in that spontaneous family moment, a sparkling gem of a day that came unexpectedly as a gift.
I haven’t been drawing much lately and I think I’ve been missing out. Creative art journals provide us with another form of language with which to express ourselves, and it’s a shame if we don’t use it.
Learn more about all the ways you can benefit from journaling!
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