Soul Journaling

Get ready for some colour!

Isn't this pretty? It's my palette with paint on it from many projects, including "The Chair". I'm going to be using it a lot today as I jump in with both feet!

So, Sarah Whitmire has a beautiful blog called Caspiana, and she invited artists everywhere to join her in her Soul Journaling. She is on day 17 or so, and I began this morning at Day 1, thinking I'd do as much as felt right.

I am using a journal I began a couple years ago, because that's what I had and that made it easier for me to jump in.

This is the cover of my compsosition book journal I'll be using. I'd covered it with pictures ripped from a magazine.

I had a block of free pages in my journal. I've worked in it so far in a non-linear way, not front-to-back, so jumping into this work in progress made perfect sense to me. Step one was a prep.

First I glued some old dictionary pages in the book,


and then I wrote a bit with the prompt "Today I feel...". I wrote it in black marker directly over the glued down dictionary pages. This is not something I normally use as a background. Left to my own devices I would have painted the pages first.

After journaling, I painted over what I'd just written with off-white paint. Some of the letters show through, and some of the dictionary pages. I really like that, but again, it's something I wouldn't have thought to do on my own. Fun!


Next, on top of it all, I wrote my name in different inks , and stamps, all over the page. Instead of following the prompt and writing "This journal belongs to...", I instead wrote "My Journey" on the top of the page with stamps. It seemed right. I like that there are words and bits peeking through the paint.



I then prepped another spread in much the same way, with torn papers and ephemera on the bottom, and white paint dry-brushed over that. This time I added a little turquoise blue.

Next, Sarah's instructions, or prompts, said to find an image of a suit of armor, something that would protect us from the critics in our lives, critics that prevent us from being free and authentic in our art. She explains this very well. Check out her blog.
But I decided I wanted to use something symbolic to my own life and journey, right where I am today, so I chose a bridge.
I altered an image that I took in San Fransisco in May, of the Golden Gate Bridge , and I printed it off. It has a lot of personal significance, which I journaled about on the page. I felt it fit my journal much better. I like the way it looks in negative tones.

I show the bridge spanning the chaos that I feel has been such a part of my experience over the past year or two. There have been many bright moments too, but the chaos has really been hard for me to deal with.




That's all I'm going to show you tonight. I actually did a few more spreads. I was playing with it all day, and the time just flew! I'd like to know if anyone else is inspired by Sarah's blog. If you are, and if you decide to play along, please leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to see what you do.