Artists have created self-portraits for ages, probably more for what the artists discover about themselves than as a way to create a likeness to show to the world. As with most things in Creative Energy Journaling, this activity is design to give you some of the benefits of the exercise of creating a self-portrait, without having to know how to draw or paint, and without spending hours and hours staring into a mirror.
What is a mask for? We all wear them. For politeness, for privacy, for protection. Sometimes out of kindness. Sometimes out of fear. Think about how it feels to wear an actual, physical mask. A mask conceals identity. But a mask also expresses an identity. When you wear a mask, are you conscious of a…
The biggest benefit of drawing is that drawing changes how you see. Drawing is a form of active meditation, a mindfulness practice, and a wonderful stress-reliever. That all sounds great. But what if you can’t draw? I have good news: the worse your drawing skills are, the easier today’s “drawing” activities will be for you! Back when I…
A great way to practice mindfulness and open your eyes to the world you live in every day is to play “tourist” in your own town. Often artists keep sketchbooks not so much to accumulate sketches as to provide a way to focus their attention on the overlooked interest and beauty in their everyday lives….
Often, we mentally place two qualities, choices, or even people, in opposition. Then, we conclude that more of one (or for one) must necessarily come at the expense of the other, without even thinking to ask if the two people/ideas/paths are really opposed. How might your thinking change if you considered whether these two things could be like the warp and weft of a piece of fabric, both valuable and necessary, both contributing to its strength and beauty?
In Creative Energy Journaling, as in any creative activity, there is the possibility of interference from your inner critic. The received wisdom is that inner critics should be silenced. Or banished. I disagree. In this post I hope to persuade you that your inner critic can help you go deeper into your creativity and be more comfortable taking creative risks.
It seems we’re all busy these days. Often, too busy to take time for things that we know would really enhance and enrich our lives—like journaling or art-making. We long for a creative outlet, and every day we wind up scrambling just to get through the necessary tasks of the day before falling into bed…
WAIT! Have you done part 1? Important: Please do the activity described in “Just-So” Stories, part 1 before reading this post! Please take as much time as you need for part 1. You may want to spend more than one journaling session working on it, to give yourself plenty to work with in part 2….
This activity can take some time to “complete”. Don’t feel that you have to finish it in one sitting. In fact, you will likely get more out of it if you return to embellish and add to it later. I’ve deliberately split this activity into two posts. I’ve found I get more creative and flexible…
Finding a sketchbook or journal with paper that will accept some watercolor washes AND with a beautiful cover can be tough. But it’s easy to personalize your journal cover with colors, symbols and words that are meaningful to you. In an earlier post, I shared a few ideas for personalizing your journal cover. (If you…
These “creative seeds” are a great to warm-up, de-stress or generate new ideas for paintings. Creative Seeds If you were planting a garden, you would not simply go outside and wish for ripe tomatoes tomorrow and expect to have that actually happen. You understand that you have to work the soil, maybe add humus. Rake it smooth,…
Here you are with a lovely new journal. Maybe you’ve decorated the cover, or done a ritual to honor your materials. Now it’s time to start putting something on the pages—aaak! Some demons lurk here. Even with many years of experience, I sometimes get hung up on feeling I’m not going to be able to…
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