Oscraps

August Art Journaling Challenge, Week 1 - SERENITY

svanderhaegen

Well-Known Member
CHEERY O
Welcome to the August Art Journaling Challenge, Week 1. Our word prompt for this month is SERENITY. The word "serenity" generally refers to a state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. It implies a sense of inner tranquility and freedom from stress or disturbance.
On a deeper level, serenity can be seen as a profound state of mental and emotional peace, where one is able to maintain a sense of calm and balance despite external circumstances. This deeper sense of serenity is often associated with spiritual or philosophical contexts, where it represents an enlightened state of mind characterized by:
  1. Inner Harmony: A deep sense of alignment and balance within oneself, where one's thoughts, emotions, and actions are in sync.
  2. Detachment: The ability to remain unaffected by external chaos or disturbances, often achieved through practices like meditation, mindfulness, or spiritual contemplation.
  3. Acceptance: Embracing the present moment and circumstances without resistance, cultivating a sense of contentment and gratitude.
  4. Wisdom: An understanding of the impermanent nature of life and the ability to navigate challenges with grace and equanimity.
In essence, achieving serenity on a deeper level involves cultivating a mindset and way of being that allows one to experience a consistent sense of peace, regardless of life's ups and downs.
Synonyms for serenity
  1. Tranquility
  2. Peacefulness
  3. Calmness
  4. Stillness
  5. Composure
  6. Placidness
  7. Equanimity
  8. Repose
  9. Quietude
  10. Peace

Quotes about serenity
  1. "Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm." – Unknown
  2. "Serenity comes when you trade expectations for acceptance." – Unknown
  3. "Serenity is the tranquil balance of heart and mind." – Harold W. Becker
  4. "The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom." – James Allen
  5. "Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be." – Wayne W. Dyer
  6. "Serenity is when you get above all this, when it is nothing to you, when you allow God to lead you and take away all your fears." – John Glenn
  7. "Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  8. "To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." – Lao Tzu
  9. "Serenity is not something you just find in the world, like a plum tree, holding up its white petals to the moon." – Emily Dickinson
  10. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." – Reinhold Niebuhr
My sample layout is this. I chose the synonym "Tranquility" as my inspiration. As a Imagery I Incorporated a watercolor image of a calm lake with gentle ripples, surrounded by a lush, green forest, and a soft, pastel sky with light, fluffy clouds.
I prefer displaying my layouts in a travelers notebook, but you can use whatever format you like.

Sonja_TRANQUILITY-AJ08-1.jpg

You can choose to do a single page each week, or do a divided template - one part for each week. If you don't have the Divided Template and would like to have it, you can get it here at Dropbox. Thank you to Ona @wombat146 for providing the template choices for us! If you do the template, we would love it if you would post it incrementally. Post one done in the first week, post an image of the two together on the second, and three on the third, and then the finished page on the fourth week.

Again - the template is NEVER a requirement to use, just something fun and different if you want to use it.

Everyone who participates in any of this month's challenges will be entered into a drawing for a $5 gift certificate to Oscraps. You can receive up to four entries into this month's drawing.


I can't wait to see what you have to share about the prompt SERENITY

Challenge Rules:
You have until 11:59 p.m. CST on AUGUST 31st to complete your pages for this challenge.
  1. To qualify for the drawing, you need to use 80% Oscraps products that are currently in the store (non-Oscraps products or retired O designer products can be used whether the designer is selling elsewhere or not).
  2. You need to credit all the products used on your page.
  3. You cannot use a page you create for this challenge for another Oscraps challenge.
  4. Upload your page to the Art Journal Gallery and then add your layout to the challenge thread. (Below you will find instructions on adding your page to this thread.)
Adding a linked layout from the Gallery to a thread:

Upload your layout to the gallery first. In your forum post click the Gallery Embed icon (little camera).

This will open your gallery, simply click on the layout you require, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the Continue button.

Your linked layout is now in your post, the image will appear once you have clicked the Post Reply button
 
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AK_Tracy

Well-Known Member
oooooohhhhhhhh what a great word and inspiration. My minds spinning. Will have to ponder and see what floats to the top.
 

Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
Thanks for the wonderful challenge and your intro is perfection, as always, Sonja. I decided to do the Divided Template this month. It's been awhile since I used it. Here's my single page, followed by the template so far.


 
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vickyday

Love my O Family!
CHEERY O
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." – Reinhold Niebuhr
I think "contentment" could be another synonym for serenity. The apostle Paul said he was content even though he had been beaten, imprisoned.....several times during his ministry. I would like to use the following verses from the Bible instead of the quote above.....if that is acceptable for the challenge:
"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:11-13
 

wombat146

ONA - Administrator
CHEERY O
yay! I have missed playing in this challenge!!! Terrific theme for August Sonja, I used one of the quotes you provided for my first week....... and I am using the divided page template this month. :)

Week 1 - Serenity


Journaling reads:
Serenity for me is sitting under the night sky, looking at the stars and watching the world turn. This simple act fills me with joy and peace, knowing that any problems I have are quite small in comparison to the vastness of this awesome universe that I call home. ♥
 

Celestine

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the interesting challenge. I was inspired by the way you used a painted landscape. To add to the sense of calming your mind, I layered and gradually blended two photos of the same scene. On top is the original and the underneath uses an artistic mode available in PSE. If you look closely, the boulders and water in the foreground are sharp with normal focus and then the distant trees and sky blend to artistic stokes. This was a new technique for me!

 
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