A few years ago when I started painting on a regular basis and following art blogs, I saw many artists creating in art journals. I just couldn't do it at first. I felt like I was wasting paper and paint and time. Then I took an online class with Mindy Lacefield called True Free Spirit and she suggested we paint many of our lessons in a journal. Since then, I've been hooked. I truly feel like "playing" with colors and shapes and creating things I never did before (like painting girls) has opened me up to new things as well as painting more freely. It helped me focus on being right there in the moment instead of thinking about other things or wondering if this painting was "good enough." It is like having a little therapist right there with me, one who doesn't respond but kind of pushes me to find the answers myself by just exploring with my words or paints and trusting that I can handle things or they will eventually work the way they are supposed to.
I now love painting and writing in my art journal. It takes me to a calmer place. Sometimes I share it with others on-line and even make prints out of my creations, and other times, it's just for me to try new art techniques or to work through things I'm worried about.
I own the book Art Saves by Jenny Doh and I've come to believe that little phrase. No, my lupus is not healed in the sense that I'm physically healthy like I dream of being, but I truly feel that creating art whether for myself or customers has saved me in so many ways.
I'd like to start sharing some of these pages here weekly in the hopes that maybe you can take some encouragement and inspiration from them too!
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