Confessions of the Studio Journal

Journals...........Love 'em.  Hate 'em.

I love the possibilities I can see when I'm thumbing thru new journals at the office supply store.  Or the great vision I have for a particularly beautiful artsy journal I notice at my local Hobby Lobby.  I've been known to gush with great delight over handfulls of quirky pens/pencils and how they will make my journal the wonder that it should be. 

Here's the catch for me.  While I am 100% comfortable with decorating a journal page with paint, paper, pen, crayons, etc.- it is very difficult for me to write down anything that is negative or discouraging.  Why?  Not really sure.  Just is.

Most of you could pick up a journal of mine and think I must live in a perpetual state of bliss and joy.  Everyone always loves me and treats me like the queen I profess to be. 

That is not entirely true.  I do have many people in my life that love me and treat me well.  But, you know, life happens to everyone on the planet and sometimes life just stinks.  Why is that so hard to write about?

This past weekend was a true train wreck.  Life just crashed into one big messy pile of ....... stuff.  So, off to my journal I went.  Not with a strong desire to chronicle every negative feeling.  I just picked it up to let my mind wander.  This seems to help me find some type of solution to whatever my latest dilemma is for the day.

Here's what came out of those sessions with my studio journal.........................

These path pages may not be completely finished yet.  I do like the simple way the design came out.  Bare.

This page was a little more involved. The crazy looking writing is really just short-hand.  It's an old school way of writing very quickly, as in when professional people had secretaries that they dictated letters, memos, etc. to.  The boss talked and you wrote down what he said in this funny little language.  They probably don't even teach this anymore.  No one else at my house can read it so I can write whatever I want and no one is the wiser.  Being older has it's advantages, no?!?

If any of you are needing permission to set aside your normally sunny personality and journal the yuck out of your system, that's what this Queen Mum is giving you. 

Permission granted to figure out a way to journal the saddest, darkest parts in a way that gets it out there without damaging people.  Pour it out for the purpose of getting rid of the negativity.

Write it out.  Draw about it.  Gesso over the whole mess.  Black it out with stamping.  Tear it out and burn it.  Crumple it up and throw the whole page away.

Just don't keep it inside of you where it will really turn into a mess.

Then you can get back to keeping on the "Sunny Side of Life".  Here's to smiling again!