Oscraps

September Art Journaling Challenge Week 4 (Focus)

faerywings

The Loopy-O
CHEERY O
We have come to the last week of this month's challenge, which has been all about focus: what focus is, how we can attain better focus, and why we need to have a sense of mental clarity. If you are like me, there are days that you feel life is bombarding you with "stuff" coming at you from all sides. Sometimes it feels unrelenting, making me struggle to find focus and stay focused. One of the things that helps me is doing yoga. Even a 15-minute session by calming my mind and focusing on my breath helps me get centered and grounded. During meditation and/or yoga we are often asked to look inside ourselves and find a mantra.
The dictionary defines Mantra as:
noun​
  • 1. (originally in Hinduism and Buddhism) a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation: "a mantra is given to a trainee meditator when his teacher initiates him"
For this week's art journal, I'd like you to start by taking a few deep breaths. Really feel your torso expand and then release, quieting your mind. Is there a word or sensation that comes to mind? Does it make you feel confident or calm? Say that word to yourself or visualize the word in your mind. It doesn't have to look like anything, you only need to think about how you feel. Go ahead and breathe, repeating the word to yourself a few more times if that feels right.
Now is the best part- scrap a page based on the manta or word you thought about. Did the word bring about a memory or make you feel a certain emotion? Maybe the word feels like a color or taste. Whatever comes to mind, create a page, using that sensation as a guide.

If you are having trouble thinking of a word or you want to learn more, here is an article that you can check out.
What Is a Mantra and How Do You Choose One?

Here is my layout.
Sept-AJ-Week-4-copy.jpg
I often tell myself to breathe. My mantra would focus on the breath and breathe in and out as consciously as I can.

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 FOCUS

Challenge Rules:
You have until 11:59 p.m. CST on SEPTEMBER 30 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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Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
What a wonderful wrap-up for our month of challenges, Chris. I love how you tie all of our weekly challenges together.
 

Cherylndesigns

I'm in The Zone ~ The "O" Zone
CHEERY O
Here's my page for this week. It's kind of a wrap up too. I attempted to bring my previous pages together and who knows where my muse will lead me from here. I know you'll see some similarities, but also hope it shows a new direction.

 

faerywings

The Loopy-O
CHEERY O
What a wonderful wrap-up for our month of challenges, Chris. I love how you tie all of our weekly challenges together.
I am so glad that you are enjoying the last week's wrap-up. It's good for me too, I like having everything tied up nice and neat at the end of a project. :D
 

Robloz55

Well-Known Member
This is a pretty basic LO. But now that I have found this collection, I plan on using it a lot for Journaling type challenges!!

There is a lot more to the story, but since I dont have a lot of room, i have to be economical with the words I use.

 

A-M

Well-Known Member
The first word to come to my mind was PEACE and then the word TRUST. I found the perfect quote to use to finish off my page this month:
 

vickyday

Love my O Family!
CHEERY O
This challenge was perfect timing for me. I just finished my morning devotional, Mornings With Jesus and need something else. I did a search for Christian Mantras and found an Abide app that I am going to try. Thanks for the challenge. Here's my page.
 

pachimac

I solemnly swear I am up to no good!
CHEERY O
Thank you all for joining the art challenge!!! I'm off to comment on your layouts!
 

faerywings

The Loopy-O
CHEERY O
I missed these additional pages yesterday, so glad everyone was able to complete them in time! Off to leave love in the gallery!
 
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