30 Journals 30 Days ~ An Interview

Playing along today with the AMAZING Connie Hozvicka and her 30 Journals 30 Days Love. Everyday this month she has interviewed an Art Journaler, and now on the 31st day of July, she is featuring all the Lovelies that participate in her workshops, e-course, etc. Here's my interview, of ME! Thank you Connie!!!

•How long have you been Art Journaling?

I just started a couple months ago. I can't believe I didn't discover it sooner! I have loved collage projects for a very long time, and I've kept a written journal for years. But to find this place where all of that can be combined, adding in painting and drawing, where permission is granted to do ART everyday... it's just simply amazing.


•How has Art Journaling impacted, changed, or enhanced your life?

It has changed my life in every way imaginable. For just about all of my adult life I have believed that ART was for other people. For people who followed a certain path. Who were encouraged from a very young age. Who actually earn a living from it. And so I always hesitated to create. And now, here, through ART journaling, I have learned that ART is for everyone! Expressing ourselves though ART is exactly what it is about. It is not about product. It is not about pleasing someone else. It is all about process. About permission to make a mess, to try new things, to experiment, to find joy in the middle of all of it. To release pain. To tap into the very depths of our Soul. I now, finally, have found freedom, freedom to express my soul's desire. This is HUGE. It's MONUMENTAL!

•What are a few of your favorite Art Journaling materials?

I have fallen deeply in love with gel medium for texture. I also love acrylic paint, magazine pics for collaging, sparkly gel pens (LOVE sparkly gel pens), paint pens in general, textured paper, and I think I'm just discovering a love of stitching my pages!

•Who are some of your favorite Art Journalers?

I first came across and have been so inspired by the art journaling of Teesha Moore.

Sarah Whitmire has some lovely prompts she generously shares that I thoroughly enjoyed.

And now, the most wonderful Connie Hozvicka and her Art Journal Love Letters!

•What kind words of encouragement would you say to an Art Journal newbie?

I don't think it can be said enough ~ there is no wrong way to do ART journaling!! You can use whatever materials you want, whatever techniques you want, whatever paper you want. The idea is to express yourself, the good, the bad, the ugly. The beautiful, the inspired, the messy!! Give yourself permission to put color to paper. To glue. To scribble. Expresss yourself. It's all GOOD!!

•Where can we contact you...give us some link LOVE!!

My blog is here: Indigomoone Musings

I'm on Facebook: Tracy Carlton

I tweet here.

I have another life as a belly dancer here: Kundalini Belly Dance

And, big secret, a new slowly emerging not really ready, but sharing it here anyway adventure: Expressive Souls

•Short Bio

I am a dreamer, a dancer, an ARTist, a risk-taker. I am a recovering perfectionist and an emerging shaman. I am building up the courage and also a plan to take flight from a good but not-my-Soul's-Expression job into a life where dreams are real, creativity is queen, inspiration is generously given, connection is woven, and LOVE is shared.

So looking forward to sharing this journey with you!

Permission

I have been bitten by the ART Journal addiction, or I have fallen madly in love with ART Journaling. Or, I have become OBSESSED with expressing myself through my ART Journal. Luckily, I am still taking time out to eat and sleep. I'd quit my job in an instant to ART Journal all day. Oh sure, I suppose there's a chance I'd get tired of it eventually. But it's a chance I'm willing to take.

So I haven't much been in the mood for writing. Which means this blog. My time has instead, been devoted to painting, collaging, drawing, getting messy, exploring, dreaming, processing, creating, and in general, spent in absolute BLISS!

And I joined another e-course, Art Journal Love Letters, with 4 weeks of ART Journal prompts, and a wonderfully loving community of fellow artists, and it ROCKS! Connie Hozvicka is truly amazing! Please go visit her at Dirty Footprints Studio.

In finding ART Journaling, I have found permission to be an Artist.

An ARTIST!

This is HUGE!

For the past, oh, 25 years or more, I put off creating any visual art because, well, I wasn't an ARTIST. You know, someone who doodled their way through grade school, went to art school, studied art history, wore black, and suffered. Because in my mind being an artist was about an identity. And of course, more importantly, it was about creating something OTHER people would like. Or admire. Or BUY. No bad art allowed. So I feared even starting.

Luckily I finally, in my late 30's, did start painting. And it was grand! But still, I would hear some friends, either artists themselves or related to artists, talk about REAL artists and REAL art. And well, no way was I one of those. I dabbled. I crafted.
It was a hobby.

All by OTHER people's definition.

And then came ART Journaling. And you know what I learned? It's not about what you create. It's about the PROCESS of creating. It is personal. It is playful. There is no WRONG way to do it.

How frickin' FREEING is that?

Finally, I have permission to create.

Sing hallelujah to that!!!

And you know what?

I AM an artist.

And here are a few of my creations:

Thank you for being here along on the journey with me.

Won't you create with me?

Summer Rituals

It's summer. And it's HOT!

Our summer ritual, put on hold for a couple years while we tried to sell out house, is to sleep outside on our deck. We have some friends that would join us, mosquitos, so we use a screen tent to preserve our sanity and our skin.

We've also embraced eating outside. Creating outside. And of course playing outside!

I absolutely love this about summer!

What summer rituals do you have?

An Aha! Moment

I am relatively new to ART journaling. I can't believe I haven't stumbled upon it before this year! I have kept a journal since the day I left college, have done expressive art collage projects for over 10 years, and have tentatively dabbled in ART, well, since I started coloring as a small wee child, but mostly in the past 5 years.

And now, finally, all of these parts of me have come together in the most delightful, soulful, meaningful sort of expression!

ART Journaling!!

Oh my!

Much of what I have read and learned about ART journaling, both online and in books, is that it is most definitely not about the end product. This is not about creating a piece of ART. No, ART journaling is all about process. It doesn't matter what materials you use, what medium, or what images. It can be crayons out of a box or a more elaborate set up of prepping the page, painting, collaging, gel medium transfers, etc. And all of this made complete sense to me. On an intellectual level, I completely bought into this concept.

Then, last night, I truly EXPERIENCED what those words mean. My son was asleep, my husband busy on the computer, and it was late, not really enough time to get into a project of any kind, so I thought I'd write in my journal. But truth be told, I wasn't really in the mood for that. So I grabbed my supply of markers (fat ones, skinny ones, sparkly ones, white ones) and started doodling. And I noticed that while I was doodling, putting pen to page, coloring really, that thoughts of the day were passing through my head. Things I had done, people I had met, and ultimately, judgments I had held against someone, and then against myself. I kept drawing and coloring and doodling. Then, when it seemed "done" I felt that some words were necessary.
And out they came, exactly what my soul needed to hear, from some deep down place, words I couldn't have written, wouldn't have written, if I was only writing in my journal.

So here is that picture. But really, here is that process. Here is the result of healing happening. Of sorting through my day, of witnessing, and then releasing what needed to be released. Followed with some kindness, and a reminder.

I get it now! I understand!
ART journaling!
I am in love with this new thing in my life.
So glad to have met you!

I Believe in Miracles

I went up to my quiet sit spot this morning, where my altar is, with the intent of focusing on *Believing Anything Can Happen*. I tromped up the stairs with a hot cup of tea in one hand and my journal, The Artist's Way, and a pen in the other. As I settled myself in, I happened to notice one of the most amazing things I think I've ever seen. And right then and there. I just knew. ANYTHING is possible. I can DO ANYTHING I set my heart and mind to. Here's what I saw:

Do you see what this little Spider has done? That STONE, that is dangling from its web, used to be IN that bowl! How did that little critter MOVE that stone out of the bowl?
WOW!!

Here's a little bit closer look:

Now, truly, if that tiny but mighty Spider can move *mountains* well dammit so can I!
And the STRENGTH of that web! I too am stronger than I know.

ANYTHING really is possible.

Watch out world. Here I come!

Summer

*8 Things: Simply Summer





Sometimes I play along, it depends on what my day looks like!

Happy to play today, because usually my summer doesn't usually look much different from the other seasons. I work all year. With occasional days off. Maybe now that Ian is starting school the concept of *summer vacation* will start entering our lives.

But I don't want to wait until NEXT summer to begin. So here are my *8 Things: Simply Summer.

Oh, one more thing, the first thing to go on my list, we've already done! I happen to have 8 more things though.

Done: Sleep on Deck (we'll be doing this all summer!)

1. Canoe Trips
2. Blackberries: picking, eating, & jam making
3. Braids & pigtails
4. Beach get-away weekend
5. Dining on the deck
6. Fudgsicles
7. Play in an outdoor fountain
8. Bake a fruit pie

So excited to make these happen this summer!

How will you celebrate Summer?