Since Journaling is so important in my life, and I spend as much time on it, as many writers, and/or visual artists, I am absolutely enthralled with the idea of art journaling. In a way, I've kept one since at least 2003 and the entrance of Queer as Folk into my life and my creating a collage called, The Erotic and the Beautiful, as if they were separate, as indeed they probably were at that time, for me. As was sex and love, like for many gay men.
Until I made that collage I had the idea that nudity was somehow "bad" or distasteful or obscene. The naked human body was something I figured was only portrayed in porn. Actually, those ideas came from my mother, from censorship of TV and films, and the very minute amount of soft porn I'd read, although I wouldn't have had a name for it, then.
In August of 2003, that all changed for me; I watched the pilot episode of Queer as Folk and my world expanded almost instantaeously on some levels. The men were not just having sex with each other, oh some were, but, they were also making love, often face to faced, gasp, just like straight people, men and women do. My view of the human male figure would change forever on that day.
Back to journaling. I've been journaling for almost all my life. and now that I'm trying to find some medium to pursue in the visual arts, more than spending a year or two on it, I figured that if it helped me be a more creative person, improve my writing, and give me a place to put my ideas, it's got to be a good thing for an artist. To spend 15 to 20 minutes a day doing art of some kind.
I just found this http://www.aisling.net/library/journaling/journaling1.htm website and have been exploring. I have no desire to pursue art journaling to this extent. However, tomake it a great place to store ideas, poems, inspirational quotes, collages, history, etc., etc., etc a journal does have everything I need. A place to catalogue, diary and store images of what I do every time I attempt a piece of visual art., drawings I want to do, unforgettable scenes I want to film, paint, draw, something to get them on paper and out of my head. Images, unforgettable images. Memorable images. Life changing images. Images I'd rather forget. Images no one will ever see.
Just received a message from the art journaling group on yahoo.com. Hope it's some kind of home, art home? Meet some nice people.
Encouraged: Discussions about your art, about your journaling, about what's behind your art/journaling (tell us about your day!). This list was created as a "how-to" list, sharing questions and ideas about techniques and materials. It's also intended as a source of artistic inspiration, and as a way to meet others who enjoy art and journaling, too.
Lyn
