Art Journal Prompt: That January Feeling

How are you feeling this week? There’s a month left until the month is over and it’s around now a lot of people start flagging. The resolutions are waning because other committments are getting in the way,  the Holidays are a dim and distant memory and there aren’t any more to look forward to for a while (unless you’re coupled up and celebrating Valentine’s Day), the weather’s not showing any signs of getting better yet except for the odd snow drop. All of this could mean that you’re starting to feel a bit down.

Or maybe you’re the other way. Your word of the year has bolstered your confidence and now the kids are packed off to school you’re attacking your passions with new vigour. You’ve got your new habit nailed, you’re thinking about booking your summer holidays and finally the nights are drawing out and you no longer feel like you’re living cocooned in Dracula’s lair.

For this prompt, write about how you’re feeling and create a plan of attack to go with it. Do you need a pick me up? A little treat to blow away the midwinter blues? Or maybe you need a day off to review your whirlwind schedule and take a breath? Do you need to get started on that word of yours before it’s February already? Or do you need to find some motivation to keep going at what you’ve started?

So far my month is going OK, but then January is always just treading water for me. It’s just killing time between christmas and my birthday. But now I’m in the final week and I feel much perkier. Lots to do before Friday, lots to do before the end of the month and lots of pots on the boil that I need to keep simmering gently.

So far, so good.

"That January Feeling" 8x12" art journaling page © 2010 Klair Scattergood

This page is done in an ink and wash style like ‘La Parisienne‘ from last week. I really enjoy doing this very loose but colourful style and I want to explore it some more, so expect to see some more like this in the next month or so.

Art Journal Page: Quote UnQuote

Week 2’s prompt was to write your own quote in your journal. This is the page I came up with. For the writing on the right hand side I used my quill pen, which I absolutely love and which reminds me of the old fashioned nib pens we used in school. I have to use this pen more.

'Quote Unquote' 8x12" art journal page © Klair Scattergood

I’m a little late with this week’s prompt because my page isn’t dry yet and having tried both ways now I’d rather put my pages up at the same time as the prompts rather than later. But there is one on its way tomorrow. It’s a weekly prompt anyway so it’s no biggy if it’s not on the same day every week anyways. No pressure for art journaling.

I started trying to do a quick pen drawing every day around the 3rd, something that’s just a quick scribble which I thought I’d use as an opportunity to try out different black pens for illustration work and lettering. I find if I don’t do a bit every day I lose m steady hand, so daily practice is a good thing.

Dialy doodle snippet

I started off just with scraps of paper and post its that I was going to chuck away (possibly keeping the better ones for my art journal) but then Teesha posted that she was doing the same thing and I loved her format. I’d considered getting a daily planner or something but the cartoon style layout really appealed to me. So I dug out an old 9×9″ Daler-Rowney hardback cartridge book and I’m loving it. I spend no more than 10-15 minutes on these, usually whilst having a quick cup of tea and it’s like a break from whatever I’m supposed to be working on. Dawn’s doing it too and she’s posted a few pages already so go check out her stuff as well.

Art Journal Prompt: Writing in Your Journal

You don’t have to say a lot for it to be meaningful.

Theodore Roosevelt's diary entry the day his wife died.

Many who keep art journals find it easy to do the art and more difficult to put the words into them. We create beautiful backgrounds and images and then we fret that we will spoil them by writing on them. We worry that what we have to say isn’t important enough, that our handwriting isn’t neat enough, that we will write too much or too little. So we use quotes.

We substitute our own words with someone else’s, someone more famous, more worthy of note. We take the words of great men and women, and instead of being inspired by them to write something of our own we succumb to the belief that their words say what we think better than what we say ourselves.

Try this:

Make up a quote that sounds like it was said by someone else, but is in fact your own.

You could write in a different style, perhaps using high-brow English instead of the way you would normally write, to give it an air of a quotation rather than just something you wrote.

You could take on the style of a favourite poet or writer for your quote. Look at how they wrote and put your words into their language.

When in doubt, try something simple. Start with something that is significant in your life and a feeling you have about it. Then convey that in words.

For example,

Perhaps your children are the be-all and end-all, you might decide that your ‘life is immediately forfeit when I consider giving it up to protect them‘.

Or maybe your dog is the one who you love above all else and his ‘wet nose on my hand brings a smile even on the rainiest day‘.

Once you have your quote, decorate your page accordingly, creating your art around the words rather than doing the art first and writing afterwards.

This prompt was adapted from similar prompts in my Use Your Words art journal workshop. Follow this link to find out more about the workshop.

My Word for 2010 is ‘Focus’

'Focus' 8"x12" art journal page © 2010 Klair Scattergood

The page above was created using one of the Twisted Sketches. I was going to apply for the design team, but that would have been going against my word for the year! I decided to use it for inspiration instead.

Focus

Last year my word was ‘Start‘. And I did. I intended to begin selling my art as a sideline to my main teaching career, adding art journaling courses this year, but the plan was not to be. By the end of February my teaching role was made redundant and I ended up working a short contract as a consulting artist for a local charity. At that point I thought I might as well set up my business and start selling art part time since I was only working 3 days a wekk. By July I’d moved to 9 hours a week and been invited by Willowing to teach an art journaling course while she was on maternity leave, and the offers have been rolling in ever since.

What I have found, though, is that there was a little too much ’starting’ all at once. This year I want to focus more. I’ve already been invited to teach  two art journaling workshops and I intend to work more on Rosie and Marmalade. I have other things in the works that I want to concentrate my efforts on as well, so it’s time to cut out all the extras that aren’t going anywhere and focus on the important things, the ones that are working. Afterall, we live in the real world and in the real world there are real bills and real rent to be paid and we don’t have the luxury of sitting around ‘being creative’ on a whim. This ties in with my affiormations idea of continuing to do more of what I’m doing right.

Other things need to change this year and one of those is getting a proper schedule together. Nothing too strict, but a little more planning each week wouldn’t go amiss. Anam gave me both of Ricë’s books for Christmas, so I’ve been working through them to see where I can make changes that won’t feel restrictive. Technically I’m still on holiday until 11th January although I do have a few arty bits and bobs I need to work on and it’s given me time to think and relax. It’s the first block of time I’ve had off since last Christmas and it was much needed. I’m beginning to feel like I’ve cleared my head a little bit, which is the whole point of a holiday, isn’t it?

Art Journal Sunday – Affirmations

Don’t do resolutions? Try this instead.

'Affirmations' 8"x6" art journal page © 2009 Klair Scattergood

affirmation definition

af·fir·ma·tion (af′ər mā′s̸hən)

noun

1. the act of affirming
2. something affirmed; positive declaration; assertion
3. in Law a solemn declaration, but not under oath: permitted to one who has conscientious objections to taking oaths

Even if you make resolutions, you could try this exercise.

Make a list of 3 things that you do and you do well. Really well. Things that benefit you and make your life better.
Write them down as positive judgements.
Examples
“I am very organised and manage time well. This helps me find time for creativity and still get the kids to soccer practice on time.”
“I am a kind and compassionate person to myself as well as others. This means that although I do help other people when I am able to, I do not feel taken for granted and am able to say ‘no’ when I need to.”

When you have your 3, think about how you can improve them even more next year. Perhaps you could use your organisational skills to help the rest of your famliy by setting up online family calendars, or turn your gift of compassion to volunteering a little time to a charity.

Maybe next year, instead of saying ‘I didn’t lose that 15lbs this year, but I’m going to do it in 2011′, you’ll be saying ‘I’ve found even more creative time now that the kids organise themselves AND all that dog walking has helped me lose 10lbs!’. Wouldn’t that be a great feeling?

10 brownie points to anyone who creates a page and shares it in the comments below. Don’t forget to include a direct link to wherever you posted it on your blog.

This prompt was adapted from one of nine similar prompts from my Eve to Eve Art Journal course, which goes into ’self-study’ mode on Monday. Watch this space for some special offers on all my art journaling workshops.

In other news a little bird tells me I’m featured on Secret Sunday over on The Altered Page today. I feel extremely honoured to be listed alongside artists like Sarah Fishburn and Kelly Kilmer. Do check out the rest of Seth’s blog, which is full of amazing inspirations and art for all tastes and genres.