My Spiritual Art Journaling
Art Journaling for your spirit
Art journaling is a captivating way to explore self-expression, combining visual art with creative writing with feelings and emotions of the day. It is a personal, meditative activity that allows me to articulate my thoughts and feelings, or just put color or bits of paper on a page, with no agenda, no goal, no expected outcome. It's where I can just BE, just explore, and sometimes uncover aspects of my true self...you know, that "self" that sometimes hides below what we think society, family, or work thinks of us. It's my way of connnecting to my higher self (my soul)...that part of me that existed before this human experience and will be the "me" that continues beyond.
My art journal pages aren't always "pretty". Sometimes they are a hodge podge of color, cut up bits of paper, paint, and anything else I can find sitting around me at my art table! Sometimes I add words, sometimes not. I might add magazine images or just words I cut up...anything that draws my attention at the moment or perhaps just feels good or mirrors an emotion I'm feeling. It doesn't have to be in a fancy journal, either. I've used dollar store notebooks of all sizes, existing books I have arounnd or that I purchase cheaply at thrift stores. These journals are not created for "social media content"...going into it from that mindset if inauthentic to the reason I engage in this activity. Some of my pages do, however, find their way online as a way to teach this therapeutic past-time. Just be warned: set your alarm if there's something you need to do later. I sometimes lose myself in this meditative practice, and will look up, not knowing what day it is or how long I've been sitting there, playing.
Today's pages was not a "pretty" page, It began with a one page already painted from another time, when I had leftover green paint. I didn't have any one idea in mind, but that never stops me. I just keep going and as I do, I get more comtemplative and thoughts and feelings always "bubble up". (The key to this happening if being in the moment with what I'm not doing and remove any thoughts of "it must be "pretty" or a "masterpiece"!) This one felt more about the many parts of me that I am learning about as I embrace my spirituality beyond the confines of my past religious beliefs and practices. I have embarked on a "personal" spiritual journey...not one lived by others, thousands of years ago. This is about MY connection to God/The Source/The Divine. My term "the Universe" is my personal way of talking about "God", angels, my spiritual guides, and my soul family who are no longer in human form, but still around me. Life on earth is sometimes tough. But it's also magical...IF we don't limit those experiences or allow others to limit them for us with THEIR beliefs (that they often inherit or get from others). I wonder what you might discover if your allow yourself to go this route, exploring more of yourself.
Have fun!
Penny