Soul Journaling: Day 1

Soul Journaling- I’ve been dreaming about a project I’d like to do with you all for quite some time. It is part journaling, part mixed media or visual journal. I have been mesmerized by all the visual journaling that I have come across lately. I have lots of trouble starting projects like this…the ever feared blank page and not knowing what to write. In good old fashioned creative writing they use prompts to help you get started. So why not start there? I’d like to give you daily prompts to journal along with me. There will be both writing and mixed media prompts. You can choose to follow me exactly or break free on your own and just use my idea as a starting point, it’s up to you. So without further a due… I’m challenging you to start a Journaling journey with me! I want these books to be a mess of words, color, collage, etc. I want you to be able to be totally free with these and use them to express anything you wish. No One will read these and many times we will be covering up what we write with artwork and paint. I want us to have fun and also do a little soul searching in the process. I’m not one to ever begin long unending projects so let’s just say we will use these prompts to journal for a few weeks and then regroup and see how we feel from there. OK? So the end date is in site, let’s say: Aug. 10 I know you can hang in there for at LEAST that long. ;) The first step is to pick out a book. This can be anything. A sketchpad, traditional diary, watercolor tablet, notebook, Literary book, anything. Try and make it at least 5X7. The next step is to gather your supplies. Now I know most of you are artists so this stuff should be easy: white gesso, any kind of glue you like, magazines, pens and pencils, at least one black sharpie, a set of markers, crayons, various rubber stamps, CHEAP acrylic paint, waxed paper to put between pages and any kind of Ephemera or paper such as dictionary or phonebook pages. You still with me? ;) OK, your first assignment is to glue random Dictionary or book pages to the first 3 pages in your journal. They can be ripped or hanging off the edges or neatly trimmed. It’s up to you. Here's the journal I'm going to use. It's a Watercolor book with relatively thick pages that can take some abuse. My text glued pages: Then I want you to start writing on the first page over your dictionary pages. Start with the prompt: “Today I feel…” Write for at least 5 minutes and circle or rewrite any words that catch your eye in your text that describe how you are feeling. If you run out of things to say, just say what’s in your head…”today I feel stupid for listening to Sarah about this whole journaling thing…” Rewrite the prompt “today I feel…”every time you get stuck or start a new thought . Write for as long or on as many pages as you want. An example of my writing:

Finished for today!

Oliver seemed to enjoy the Journaling today but Anna looks unimpressed.

Hope you join us!

I’ll talk to you again tomorrow! :)

*Note: to access Day 2, click on "Newer post" at the very bottom of this page. Thank you, Sarah