Intuitive Art: Creating a Teeny tiny Art Journal Page
Have you ever looked at a piece of art and wondered what the artist was thinking of while they created it, why they decided to use the colors and images they did? What inspired the artist to create that specific piece of art? How did they think of it?
I’m going to try to give you a glimpse of how my brain works while I create art. A peek into my creative process.
I usually start an art journal page by digging through a basket of collage paper. I have several containers that hold small pieces, not full sheets of paper.
I have 3 bins - a largish basket to hold half size pieces of paper, a smaller tin that holds bigger chunks and strips, and then a smaller basket that holds little bits.
I’ll poke about in the containers until something catches my eye. It may be the color or the texture that grabs my attention. Having a visual of some sort helps me tune into my feelings and emotions.
With the page “fiercely” the painted paper with the heart punch outs caught my eye.
I realized I was feeling sad, vulnerable and empty hearted, a little bit helpless. These negative heart shapes seemed to communicate those feelings to me. I also found a moth I had stamped on a book page and fussy cut it out. I’m using moths and butterfly motifs throughout this art journal.
They symbolize change, transformation and transition for me.
They feel a little bit magical - delicate and strong at the same time. Appearing and disappearing unexpectedly.
I just needed another paper to provide contrast, so the moth would pop off the page a bit. I found this dark blue scrap of hand painted paper that seemed just right.
As I got in touch with my intuition through my art process, a theme started to emerge for me.
My word for the year is Audacious. I’ve been choosing a monthly word as well to pair up with audacious. This month is pleasure, so Audacious Pleasure. What I’ve found is that sometimes I have to be attentive and really search for pleasure on purpose.
If you would like a step-by-step of my process, you can download that here.
The day I made this art journal page was one of those days. I had to be very deliberate in finding and experiencing pleasure. That’s when I saw the word “fiercely” on a hand painted book page. It was a perfect fit.
I love that this collage sits next to the collage that says “play”. The spread of two pages together reminds me to fiercely play.
Fiercely because it’s all too easy for me to get bogged down in negative emotions while navigating life’s circumstances. My negative emotions then lead me to negative thoughts and beliefs.
I’m not in denial about how awful and crazy life can be at times. There are some really horrendous circumstances in the world. And my human brain is hard wired to find the negative and put it on an endless loop. That’s not healthy or helpful for me. It puts me into reaction mode, shoves me into a stress response, and shuts down the parts of my brain that engage in creative problem solving.
I want the responsive, higher cognitive function of my brain on line as much as possible.
Creating art stimulates the feel good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Art literally makes me feel better.
Making an art journal spread helps me process my feelings about my day and circumstances. It provides me with perspective. It allows my inner wisdom to communicate with me through the seemingly “random” choices of collage materials I choose. There is usually a deeper meaning or message for me to hear.
That’s why I art journal. To process my reactions, my emotions, and beliefs so I can transition into paying attention to all the good that is in this crazy mixed up world.
If you would like the PDF I’ve created of my process, click the button below.
Remember to breathe,