Recent Journaling

So I finally get myself excited to go spend a lot of time in my studio when we've been hit with a huge heat wave. One down side of my studio space is its almost like an oven in the heat and it is the last place I would want to be on a 95 degree plus day. However air-conditioned coffeeshops are great and just about the only refuge I have so I have been doing a lot of journaling the past few days.

I've been in a really weird journalling place (mentally) lately. I recently started a new journal after completing my first full journal (which took me about 4 1/2 years) and was super excited to start taking my journaling style in new directions and to branch out. However I put a lot of pressure on myself and kind of forgot what journaling was all about. Which led me to some soulless drawings that didn't come from deep down inside of me but instead came from my left brain trying to piece together "the steps" I use for creating a drawing ("ok first I draw a circle, then I draw two eyes and then...") and would wonder why everything coming out looked so ugly.

Recently I've been working on retraining my brain on how to journal. I've been remembering that journaling isn't about the art that is produced (the final product), it is a release of your thoughts, emotions and feelings from that exact moment allowing it to be captured on paper. Back in college I would call it "brainsponging" because even after I had been creating art for 7 hours in class and had a huge project due the next day I would still go spend an hour journaling so that I could just sit lose myself deep within my brain and just let the paper absorb the journey. It was relaxing and freeing without any pressure.

I have pictured above my most current completed page (well tentatively completed, I always seem to add more later) and while it's still not my favorite journal page ever I am finally feeling like my old journaling self is coming out again. My drawings and style will evolve on their own but right now I need to simply allow my thoughts to exist and be sponged into my journal.

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