Visual Journaling

I just taught another visual journaling class last week. It was a great class, and as usual, the first question on most of the students' lips at the end of class was - "When can we do this again?!"

I too, have been working on my own visual journal. Working out personal issues, and I am finding it really helpful. Here's one entry: I am working on becoming that butterfly. My hand is still trying to capture it.

I start with my journaling, and then art over it. I don't worry about not being able to remember what I wrote - I will absolutely remember, based on the art that's on top. The brown thing on the right is a sewing "mending kit". It's a folded pocket. I don't really plan on altering it, but I will keep little mementos in there, as part of my "mending".

Below is my latest favorite entry.

It relates to one of my previous blog entries about "My Life in Five Chapters" - so that's what the numbers to five are about. I'm finding new roads, and then the yellow brick road came to mind. Will I find Oz? Is Oz really a place where food will no longer be so alluring, such a temptation that causes me pain? The bottom layer, on top of my journaling is a map. Then I added more papers, and acrylic paint. Then wrote the numbers and "Yellow Brick Road" text with a black sharpie. The red speckled stuff is red oil pastel scraped over glass bead gel. Cool stuff.

I think Oz is more like a place where a false wizard lives. Food will always be a struggle with me, but it might get easier as I get into a habit of saying "no" and focusing my time and attention on other things.

You can't imagine how helpful these visual journaling exercises have been. I hope you'll try the same thing. Journal for 5-10 minutes, then art over it. If you've wrote ugly things or embarassing things, it also helps that you know it will be covered up, but only you can remember what's there.

Explore amongst yourselves...