changing focus (or: creative journaling vs art journaling)

i have realised that a lot of what i have been sharing here with my art journal was confusing, irrelevant and maybe even annoying to some people!  oops!  because i’m so into art i forget that everyone else isn’t as into it as i am.  because i believe that everyone is an artist, i forget that some people just don’t want to be artists.

what i had originally intended to do here was share the creative journaling exericses that i’d developed through my creative journaling workshops.  the focus of these exericses is on self-discovery, healing and transformation.  the journaling gets creative through different prompts and exercises but we do not make “art” in the workshops.

personally, my focus last year was on exploring and making more art and it seems like that leaked out into the creative journaling i was sharing here, causing it to turn into more of an art journaling focus.

i’d like to shift that back now.

so if you are not really into art, but are into self-discovery, healing and transformation know that the creative journaling that i share from now on will be more relevant for you.

if you really are into art journaling, and keep your own art journal, and would like to be a part of a fun new art journaling project, can you send me an email?  (andrea {at} ABCcreativity.com)  once that is up and running i will post it here so everyone can see it – it’s going to be a collaborative art journal website where anyone and everyone can share pages from their art journals.  i really love looking at people’s art journals so i think this will be a lot of fun.

so, the fun new art journaling project will happen somewhere else, and ABCcreativity will remain focused on using creative energy as fuel for creating happiness and dreams come true.

what is creative journaling?

creative journaling is when creativity injects journaling with magic and possibility.  it is tapping into your unique creative energy and using it as a tool for self-discovery, healing and transformation and *anyone* can do it.

the most common complaint i hear from people, about journaling, is that it’s so negative.  that they go to their journals and fill them with their pain and confusion and anger and annoyance.  they take all the stuff they don’t like feeling, and they let out into their journal.  letting it out does create relief and it is an important part of journaling.  but there is more.

you can bring your happiness, your dreams and inspiration to your journal.  by letting them out there – they expand.

you can bring your questions to your journal in such a way that you receive amazing answers from your own intuition.

you can explore new ideas and terrain, you can learn to set clearer intentions for your life, you can break bad habits and learn good habits.  there is nothing that a creative journal cannot help you with.

sound good?

does this make things less confusing for you?  i was getting some feedback from people that, not being artists themselves, they could not follow all of what i was doing with art journaling.  i want to make sure the creative journaling is easy to follow, for people who are interested in using their journals as a tool for self-discovery, healing and transformation.

in the next few weeks i will start sharing creative journaling exercises here that are less art-focused and see how it all goes.

until there, here are some photos of my  2008 daytimer where i was playing with creative journaling:

andrea schroeder creates creativity workshops, downloadable creativity kits, art and guided meditations to support you in knowing and remembering that you are a creative being and you can create anything.

Tagged as: creative journaling, intention