I’ve decided that it’s time to push the edge of the envelope on my journaling.

In January of this year, I began visual journaling, as distinguished from art journaling, which is a true form of art. Visual journaling is simply adding visual elements to the traditional journaling process.

I have found that I’m much more likely to enjoy journaling, and to do it consistently, when I am starting with something other than a blank page. So I have been using water-soluble watercolor and oil crayons to put color on the pages of my journals before I write on them.

Occasionally I will do a sketch in my visual journal, but that’s as far as I have taken it so far.

Now I want my visual journals to truly be mixed media. To me this means color, writing, images (drawn and/or collage) and embellishments (tape, vellum, stamps, stickers, envelopes, tabs, etc.).

So, for the month of December, I have signed up for artist/instructor Kelly Kilmer’s A Prompt A Day online workshop. Actually, it’s three prompts a day: paint, collage, journaling. Her idea is to spend at least 15 minutes per day creating a journal page that includes paint, collage, and journaling. This is what I have wanted to do for a long time, and apparently I need a kick in the pants to get going with it. I’m hoping that this class will do the trick.

In honor of this commitment, I made my own journal.

The cover is made from a plain manila file folder that I colored with water-soluble oil pastels:

The insides are colored/patterned card stock, grocery bags, and black card stock:

It has 102 pages in it, so this should carry me well beyond my December class:

I’m very happy with the journal. It feels good in my hands, and I loved the whole process of constructing it. I use my journals to explore dreams and new ideas, to create strategies, and to discern the voice of my inner compass, so it really helps to have something so personal to house these explorations.

I’ve never made a journal before, although I have wanted to for a long time. A couple of weeks ago I made some journal pamphlets, very simply constructed. This gave me the inspiration and desire to make my own larger journal.

Now, I’m hoping that I enjoy working in the journal as much as I enjoyed making it. I’ll keep you posted!

Filed under: Being a Reinventer, Adventures of a Reinventer, Lynne's Reinvention Journey on November 30th, 2009