Oscraps

Hello everyone out there in Digi-land! Are you ready to be introduced to my best scrapping friend – Art Journaling? My name is Susie, and I am going to be one of your guides through the art journaling world.

The first thing I want you to know is that I am no expert. I am learning right along with you, so don’t be worried that you aren’t “good enough” yet or that you are too new to do this. I’m pretty new to this style as well, having started in the last year or so.

I PROMISE you that if you play with this style, and give us half a chance, you will find yourself growing in the art journal style. Pretty soon you will notice that paint and gesso are your friends!

Do you know why I can promise you that? I can promise you that because the biggest secret of art journaling is this:

THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO DO IT!

I want to share a quote with you that really helped me to start my journey in earnest:

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures”.
~Harry Ward Beer

Art Journaling is PERSONAL. It’s what is in your heart. There is no right or wrong, no grades, no “more talented than me” or anything else of that kind of thinking. Stick with us, and you will find yourself enjoying yourself more than you ever thought. Throw away your critical self. Put her in a box and tape that sucker shut!!!

All you need to start is to be inspired by something. You can get deep with your journaling. You can have no journaling at all. Remember that art journaling is for anyone who wants to use digital art products to get your feelings down on paper! So come on in, get your favorite beverage, your comfy clothes, and your willingness to try something new, and let’s have FUN!!

Over at the O, we have art journaling challenges every week. I will highlight some of them, or maybe even ALL of them each Tuesday on this blog. Since it’s the middle of the month, I have a few to showcase. Here is a general link that you can get to all the Art Journaling Challenges over at Oscraps:

Art Journal Challenges/

Week 1 – The Change of Seasons: A time for letting go!
The theme for this month is “The Changing Seasons”, and we will be scrapping about what the change of seasons bring up in your heart and resonate with you. As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that nature’s cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for letting go and releasing things that have been a burden. The leaves of last year must fall to make way for new ones. Like the trees, mankind too is a part of nature. And even though we may not like it, change is an inescapable part of our lives and the lives of our children.

Since we are in the season of Autumn (or Fall, if you prefer) the prompts will be more geared towards Autumn, but as with all the other challenges, if you aren’t feeling autumn, then here are a few prompts for you to get started thinking:

Autumn lets herself into our lives with crisper air, fresh perspective, and a few stranded leaves. As the harbinger of change and transformation, it resets our inner clocks, inspiring us to reevaluate our dreams, aspirations, goals, intentions, plans, habits, and every other element on which we build our realities. Take some time and think of transformation, and change. Maybe think a little about plans you have for the future, or things that need to fall from our lives so that we can go on with our hopes and dreams.

Here is the sample page that was posted for inspiration:

Here is week 2’s prompt: The Change of Seasons: A time for self-care!
Autumn is a season of self-care, and preparations for the winter season.

Now, self-care can be interpreted very widely. It can be about Nature’s Nurturing Touch or about The Bath-time Sanctuary. You can create an art journal about your way of Preparing for the Cozy Season Ahead or write a Self-care Manifesto filled with the practices and habits you will/want to prioritize to nurture your body, mind, and soul.

I chose for the Bath-time sanctuary, as this is really a moment for me, for self-care. Although we are working around fall, I chose bright, light colors for this page, since this is what represents self-care, and bath-time to me. But as mentioned before, it’s all up to you what colors you use. Remember, for the art journaling challenges you can create any style of page. You get to decide what art journaling means to you. It can be a traditionally artsy page, clean and simple, pocket style, junk journal or something else. That is up to you.

The example page:

So, come join us and start the journey of Art Journaling!! If you don’t want to do the challenges, then post in the art journal gallery at the O! We’re a fun group and everyone is so willing to help and share!

Art Journal Gallery

That is it for this week! I’ll see you next Tuesday!!