How journaling can help develop and sustain a creative habit

A bouquet from the YFCA spring gala watercolor & ink, 6.6.19

Hope is in the air! Now that spring is officially here. I sat myself down with a cup of tea and my daily journal.

For the past several days I have felt unable to put anything down in writing or drawing.

Has that ever happened to you? There is a world in us, and it is vital to open the windows. To take time to rest and wait.

Keeping a journal has had a massive effect on my life

…and surprisingly, It wasn’t until I stopped teaching art to paint full time, that I realized that my small daily efforts had produced tangible results.

My strategy was this: I would always keep a journal and a small zipped bag of my favorite portable drawing tools in my pocketbook. I carried this with me at all times. I wrote and drew what I saw and felt, whenever I had a moment.

I ended up counting over 130 journals documenting my life and my growing family. I recorded places, people and events.

Expressing my struggles and celebrations in words and images

helps me to reflect on life. My only expectation? To make a mark that articulates my vision and reactions to the world!

What a treasure this has turned out to be!

Now I need to adapt my journaling method to my life as it stands now. Read my next few posts as I explore alternative ways of approaching journaling now that the previous system isn’t working as effectively.

• Do you keep a journal? If so how has it helped you?

• Do you find that you forget to adapt your habits as your life changes?

Let me know in your comments below.