Art Journaling Your One Little Word

***If you're here for the tutorial and want to skip the fascinating
overshare of my life, simply scroll down to the bottom.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hope you join us!***



So, have you chosen your one little word for the year yet?

I thought and thought and I kept coming back to this verse:

I have come that you may be comfortable,

and have a 3 car garage in which to 

store all of your painting supplies. 

hmmmm... I don't think that's it.

At least I couldn't find it anywhere in the Bible.

Shoot.

I can never seem to narrow it down to just one word.
My words this year?

abundant life 

Jesus promises, not just life, but abundant life.

That's the reason He came. That's what I want. that's what he promises.

If I'm not living it, then what am I doing? And what does that even mean?
I have no idea. But I  don't think I'm living out the abundant life that God has for me.

I think there's more. Not something different. but something more. 
Right here. Exactly where I am. In it.

I have felt it before, but it's been a while.

And I don't think it's anything I can do, or figure out on my own.

I think it's something God has to show me. Day by day. 

I have some areas I'd love to see God breathe life into.

Areas that feel dead. I've been trying to do them on my own and 

I'm just not getting anywhere.



First of all, I want to create my joy.

As Lilla Rogers says People buy your joy. I love that. I believe that.
The things that end up being most popular with others are the things I create for myself,
that come out of an overflow of my heart, not from an assignment.
I've spent the last year exploring art licensing, and I'm burned out with assignments
that don't come from me. It feels like more work, instead of play.

Lately I've been creating like a maniac, and loving it.
Have you noticed? There's so much inside me that needs to come out.
Not just paintings, but all kind of stuff.
I want to explore new textures: wood, clay, fabric.
I want to explore new themes and series and materials
and make my home a reflection of us.

I wanna practicing be being brave. I think that's part of it.
I know that sounds lame. a cliche. I know. Stick with me here.
 I mean for real. I want to step out of denial. Stop pretending.
and step into authenticity. In my art. In my blog.
In my parenting and my marriage and my friendships.
I think that's part of abundant life.
I think that will breathe life into my life.

I want to take my boys on adventures. I kind of scribbled that in.
I think life with Jesus is {or should be} an adventure.
Nothing boring about it. The life of Jesus was kind of crazy
and unexpected and real and raw and awkward at times.
It was not comfortable. In the least.
This is my last year with Jack not in full time school.
I want to be intentional with our time. They've been riding their
bikes as I walk/try my best to huff and puff around the lake.
and it's awesome/ horrible {because I hate running}. I want to keep going.
Jack always wants to create projects. I usually submit under guilt great duress.
But I want to engage with him and enjoy it.
I want to stop watching TV and read and read and read to them.
Some afternoon we do and they love it. It's magical.

Spiritually, I want to let go.
These burdens are not mine. They do not belong to me.
And I pick them up and haul them around all day.
I want to read and art journal journal and pray and worship.
And be a part of what God is doing.
Right where I am.

Financially we have got to be fierce about the budget. Gazelles.
We've made the big decision for me to stay part time next year
so I can be a momma to these babies. Josh is going to be 3.
I am beyond thankful that I get to be home with them{a leap of faith}
And with that comes a crazy budget. We're 2 weeks in and it is painful people.
painful but so worth it. {See my attempt at running above}
We've done it before and I know we can do it again.
We just need to do it.

Physically, I've got to do something. Anything.{See above}
I feel overwhelmed about my physical health right now.

 So I just need to start praying and taking baby steps towards health.

My strategy: eat real food, move more, drink water.
I know this leads to life. I know I need to do it. I don't like it one bit.
I'm 2 weeks in and still standing, and frequently have the urge to poke my out.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do hard things.
{That needs to be my next collage}

Okay, that's it. So now that I am finished with
here's a quick little tutorial for creating a visual for your word!

Materials: 
Water color paper
Acrylic paints

White ink
Black ink
Paint brushes of various sizes
The tiniest little brush you can find

That's it. Simple. Right?
Tape your watercolor paper to a bigger piece of paper,
or any hard surface, to keep it from curling up.

1. Create blocks of color with your paint. 
{Please ignore the calligraphy pen. I thought I'd give it a try,
but I ditched it because I like using a brush so much more.}
I started in the middle with a block of orange,
 then added some red & white with my fingers.
Try not to blend the colors too much,
or it will start to look muddy.

2. Take the tiniest brush you can find and dip it in white ink.
Write your word(s) in the center
and start to doodle lines and dots around it.

3. Keep painting and doodling.
Write your words & thoughts & feelings  doodle around them.

Fill up your page.

4. Paint over your white ink with black ink. 
*This is great if your messed up or change your mind,
the black will cover it up.

5. The Most Important Part: Link Below

Seriously, the most important part is sharing and connecting so be brave and link up.
Come on and join us!







If you've enjoyed this tutorial join me for my series on
Scripture Art Journaling.

Faith Art Journaling Tutorial: Oh How He Loves Us

Have you heard this song?

I love the David Crowder Band and I can't get this song out of my head.

Love.

If you are stuck and don't know what to journal, 
put on some music, start singing, and journal song lyrics.


Materials: 

An old, hardback book

gesso

acrylic craft paints

brushes

patterned papers

wax paper

a super cute paper-snatching monkey
{not for sale}

Mod Podge

Sharpies!


Let's start!

1. Prep your pages.

I like to use old hardback books for my journals, but sometimes the pages are too thin, 
so I glue them together with Mod Podge a

2. Create your background. 

Choose 2-3 colors for your background. 
Crumple up a paper towel. Dip it in the paint, then drag it across the page.
Do this with several different colors, 
but don't blend them too much or the color will get muddy. 
Use your fingers to blend the color, too, leaving part of the page exposed. 

When the background dries, 

paint your text on your page with gesso or white paint.

3. Catch a climbing, paper-snatching monkey

4. Add color to your letters
with your fingers.
(just to make it more fun)

5. Add Paper

Cut up patterned paper in the shapes of letters.
Glue them to your page with Mod Podge.
Add another layer of smaller paper on top of the first layer.


6. Add Details with Sharpie

Doodle the details to finish the page. 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! 

Click here for similar tutorials.

Art Journaling: Just show up.

Hope begins in the dark,

the stubborn hope that if you just show up

and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.

You wait and watch and work:

you  don't give up.

Anne Lamott

It never fails.

So much of art applies to life.

When I was a Young Life leader (from about 18 to 32)

Young Life club night would come and I'd be dead and not wanting to go

and listing the reasons in my head why I couldn't go

and then I would just will myself to show up

and I would be blessed beyond anything I can put into words.

And not a {smile}  "Oh, I'm so blessed!"

because I have food and clothes and health...

and I don't have any catastrophes or fatal illness

but a real: God giving me eyes to see this hurting girl {his daughter}right in front of me

and she allows me the privilege of opening up her life to me. and everything really isn't okay.

and get to be a part of what God is doing to bring his precious daughter back to himself.

I get to see the God of the Universe at work.

blessed.

And I almost missed it because

I almost didn't show up.

I don't want to do art.

just show up.

I don't want to be nice to this person.

just show up.

I don't want to meet my neighbors.

just show up.

I don't want to exercise.

just show up.

I don't want to read my Bible.

just show up.

I don't want to be brave today.

just show up.

I don't want to meet new people.

just show up.

I don't want to _______.

just show up.

But that is the whole essence of life right?

I think showing up is 90% of life.

I don't want to show up.

I wanna sit on my couch and watch the bachlorette and be comfortable.

And then I miss the life (that is real life)that God has for me.

So, my art making has been on a long hiatus (about a year)

since I had Joshy last June.

And now I want to show up and make art.

Because when I do, I am blessed.

 

So that is my art plan: just show up.

and wait. in eager expectation.

Art Journaling: A Little Bit of Playtime!

We've been finding a new normal around here.
Getting used to being a family of four. And taking lots of naps.

I've been trying hard to do at least a little art in my art journal every day.

And it's hard. But so satisfying.

I'm such an all or nothing kind of girl

 that it's hard to create for 5 minutes here or there.

But, I'm finding that I can get a lot done when I do.

I painted a bunch or backgrounds last week.

And now I'm trying to make myself

think outside of my usual creating box,

take risks, and do things a little differently.

I usually just trade off: paint, paper,

more paint, more paper, more paint... you get the idea...

so I'm trying to experiment with different materials

line, line, shape, composition.

I would love to take this art journaling class.
Mostly because I love Aimee Dolich and want to grow up be her one day.
But I know from experience I'm a terrible online student.
I simply don't do the assignments.
Especially right now. I'm a little bit full right now,
but maybe you should take this class and tell me about it.

Happy Arting!
as my friend Janne would say.

Art Journaling: The Perfect Bathroom

Thank you, thank you, thank you  for all of your love

and well wishes for Josh and our new family of 4.

Thank you for sharing in our joy.

We are overwhelmed

& taking in every minute.

I'm linking up with Gussy's Inspiration Workshop today

I thought it would be a good excuse to play in my art journal.

The only rule I have for my journal is to play & try new things.

The prompt:

The Perfect Bathroom

For my background I started with a few colors of paint.

Then added paper.

Then doodled and dreamed.

Then added more paint.

And put it all together.



My perfect bathroom would have to have...

fresh flowers everywhere
an enormous claw foot tub
really good water pressure
an abundance of perfectly folded warm white towels
yummy glass jars full of expensive soaps from France.
a separate space for a well ligthed beauty station
did I mention fresh flowers everywhere?