Monday, July 4, 2011

Beginning

I admit, I'm a little nervous about this. I've blogged before and the focus of that blog, as this one, was my art journal adventures. And at first it was really fun...post some pages, get some really sweet comments, make some friends, and all was well in my blogging universe. But then something strange happened. I started feeling like I wasn't journaling for me anymore; I was doing it for my readers (all 3 of them, lol). Is there anything that will lock up your creativity faster than feeling like you're performing for an audience? I didn't think so, and I closed down my blog.

So why I am here again? Well, it's a good 5 years later and I hope I've matured (ha!) enough not to let feedback or lack thereof affect me in that way. The truth of it is that I enjoy sharing what I'm doing and what products I'm loving, and what is inspiring me,  not because I want validation of what I'm doing, but because I enjoy being part of a community of art journalers. 

So we'll see how this goes. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I'll hate it, but I want to give it another try.

And because it seems like bad form to start off without at least one little visual, I'm going to share a photo of  one of my favorite journaling spaces. This is my coffee table, covered with journaling goodies.



(Notice that an episode of NCIS is on TV...a Halloween episode, hence Abby dressed up like Marilyn Monroe.) All of my pages begin at my art table, but most of them end here, at my coffee table. I love to sit there in the evenings on my zafu, with a DVRed episode of NCIS or Law and Order: SVU on the telly.

It's my routine to do my background and perhaps a little collage at the art table, then save the writing and the finishing touches for the evenings at the coffee table. It's so relaxing to me, like a form of meditation. I carry a tray of supplies that I plan on using, plus my trusty toolbox, over to the table and plop myself down for journal time. Other essentials include the ever-present iced hazelnut coffee from McDonald's (my Caf-Pow!) and the Tums, the latter being rendered essential because of the former, lol.

2 comments:

  1. I loved reading all you posts! Your pages are gorgeous. I'm glad you started up your blog again. :) I also love both those shows while I journal, along with House.

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  2. Aww, thanks! I've never watched House; I'll have to try it! I also like Criminal Minds, but I'm such a scaredy cat that I can't watch it alone. I only watch when DH is around, and sometimes I regret it if it's a particularly scary episode!

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