I was raised with the idea that if you start something, you should finish it. OK, so that didn't quite work out for my much hated piano lessons, but it does go for a lot of other things in my life. Project 365, even though there were days I screamed that I had nothing to take a picture of and I wanted to quit, had to be seen through 'because I had started it'. Same goes for Nanowrimo, but I'll talk about that later this month.
When I first started journaling, in one of those little diaries with a lock on it, I knew I had to write on all those pages before I could start a new one. And that's what I did for years and years. I have a whole stack of them, I think my last written journal was number 33 or something.
And then I started Art Journaling. And I kept to the same principle: you start an art journal, you fill it up to the last page and then you start a new one. And I've been doing that for the last 7 Art Journals until I came to this one....
Art Journal number 8 is big, made from file folders, and it is not pretty. There have been some personal issues I've been working through while splashing paint around, and it really helped to do so.
And then we went on holiday and I kept a Travel Journal, and life got better and I felt better and I didn't want to open that angry Art Journal anymore. And I found a perfect journal that could be Art Journal number nine..
But, but, but.. If I do start a new Art Journal without finishing the previous one, my journals will not be in chronological order anymore. And I will not be able to do another flip-through until I finish another book.. and.. and...
I know it's nothing incredibly important, but it does feel a bit like I'm letting the side down. Maybe I should keep the previous Art Journal for those moments that I need to get some anger out, but does that mean that I can't work through any emotions in my new one?
I guess I'll figure it out as I go along.
(Whoooooo, I'm starting a new Art Journal without finishing my current one. I'm a rebel me!!)
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Good for you Eveline! You're an art rebel! Art has NO rules.
ReplyDeleteYa know sometimes when ya start a new journal it's because maybe ya soul is telling ya it's finished. Like ya said ya were dealing with something and that's what the "Angry Journal" was for. Ya not dealing with that issue anymore so why work in the book? I say ya doing well. There's no "RULES" for the way we do our art. I think it's awesome ya moved on and feel good about it.
ReplyDeleteLove & Hugs, Poe
Thank you both! I just did my first page and felt like I could breathe again.
ReplyDeleteApologies for commenting on an old post, but I have only just found your blog
ReplyDeleteI can definitely recommend keeping a separate “angst” journal – I’ve had one on the go for a few years. I haven’t used it for a while because, well, I’m happy right now and I don’t need it :) But I expect I will go back to it at one point, I always do. It will never be blogged or shared, in fact until this year when I decided to sign up for a “art journal every day” challenge, I’ve never shared my journals publicly. I’m now doing one for public consumption too but I find that my style in it is VERY different – I am more aware of the audience I guess and I suppose trying to “impress”, and using more trendy techniques etc. So I’m glad I still have my private journals too where things don’t have to be finished, or trendy, or any good “art” wise, or make sense…. :)
So yes, I digress, go for it with lots of journals on the go at one, you won’t regret it, I promise!