This is the healthiest form of self-obsession
As I grow older, I am appaled at how I, like many humans before me, am madly in love with myself-- my life, my problems, my emotions, my talent (or lack thereof)-- Me, Mine and Myself. It's obsecene, yes. But I believe a decent amount of self-obsession is required if you're ever to convince yourself that your stories are worth telling. Having said that, if you're going to think about yourself all day, this is probably the healthiest way to do it.
Art (or anything you love) should not be a chore
There's a lot of baggage that comes when you take something you love and are passionate about and decide to turn it into a proffession. I envy and admire people who are able to strike that balance without breaking a sweat. I am definitely not one of those people. I am breaking it all- sweat, bones, back, my feeble little heart...
So I had to figure out a way to not let it get to a point when it starts feeling like a chore. Your Art Journal is the art you create to reignite that spark. You only do it when you feel like doing it. There are no deadlines, no briefs and no rules. This art should come from you like the air you exhale- no preparations and no expectations- it just happens.
This is a judgement free zone
Your art journal is ONLY for expressing and processing. It's not a place to judge yourself or assess your value as an artist or a human being. It's okay if the lines are too thick and the colours just don't work together. You don't always have to be profound and have complex and layered thoughts. You're human and you need to give yourself some space to be just that. You just spent the entire day worrying about back fat and hair loss when there are starving children in the world? Put it in the book.
Some thoughts are just too complicated for words- like fish lips!
I love traditional journalling but sometimes words can't do justice to the concoction of weird sorrows and selfcontradictions that is my brain. It is not easy being you. So for all the extremely specific, yet terrifyingly abstract thoughts, art is a much better tool of self-expression than mere words.
Because you are more than your worst fears
You know those days when there are deadlines piling up, unread emails calling your name and the constant fear of an uncertain future tormenting you to the point that even the slightest push can make you absolutely explode? And to top it all off, everything you try to do just comes out wrong. I mean, EVERYTHING! We have all had 'one of those days'. And ideally you would want the day to just end, so you shut everything down and cry yourself to sleep. But what if I told you, there could be a better way?
As a newly minted driver, the first time I crashed my car into a wall, my father told me "If you stop now, all you'll remember is the fear and the fear will only grow." So I drove again, and though I keep crashing into walls constantly (that's a seperate issue and not the point I'm trying to make), I did not let the fear win.
I suggest if you're struggling with your art or any kind of work, open your art journal and draw about it. Don't turn your back to it. Or else, all you'll remember is the struggle and the panic and it will only grow. Your art might come out all wrong and wonky but you won't let the panic win and soon find your way back to yourself.
Hope this list has convinced you enough to atleast give it a try. If not for anything else, do it simply because it's so much fun! Hope you enjoyed reading and have fun creating. --aggressively sketches away--
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