Sunday, September 7, 2008

Paddling Upstream, a new Soul Journaling page

The soul journaling process up till now has ended, and the new era with the Soul Journaling group has begun. One of the moderators - I greatly appreciate all three moderators volunteering their time to keep a good thing going - created the group's first prompt - the Instant Gratification exercise. Clip out a picture from a magazine, then paint around it and draw concentric rings around the picture with journaling. I went to town and went a bit beyond the idea of "instant journal." As you can see, I got so busy with layering that the rings of journaling kind of disappeared, but that's what so great about visual journaling. It brings you in touch with symbolism, and the subconsious, and often what you don't say winds up revealing itself by what you paint. I truly love it.

One of the things I LOVE about this process is that you are perpetually surprised about where the art leads you - and I wound up doing a page about "paddling upstream."
I've taken on quite a few new challenges in my professional life lately, that are making me really have to work on balance. Sometimes achieving it seems a bit impossible, other times I know it will all be ok, I just have to hold a steady course. I'm sure this is one of those lessons that I'm supposed to be figuring out. As my friend Alice says, "It's a buddha that's been put in your way to teach you something."

It's been interesting to see how my art style and colors have changed and grown so much in the three or so years that I've been doing it. I see a lot more confidence and honesty with it. I no longer concern myself with whether it is pretty, or makes sense to anyone else, I just know I'm happy with it and I feel like I'm really doing the stuff I want to be doing. In the end, that's what it is all about.
I truly feel that it helps me stay sane!

11 comments:

Karen Campbell said...

What a beautiful and meaningful page! I totally get the sentiment :)

Karen Campbell said...

What a beautiful and meaningful page! I totally get the sentiment :)

Kathryn Costa said...

Paddling upstream - This is how I have felt the past five years but there is a shift right now and I feel like I'm playing in eddys, pools of swirling water. I love that the prompt, prompted your creative juices and you kept playing. Awesome! Honesty is something I admire in the best of artists. You, my soul sister are to be admire. Thanks for playing! k

Kathryn Costa said...

How sweet! I just checked my mail and I received a bookmark from you! I love all of the colors and the gold dots. What a cool paper bead. Thank you!

Mary S. Hunt said...

these are beautifully done pages
what you wrote is how i feel most of the time too
i am getting the impression that all of us seem to think along the same lines in this group
i wonder we shouldn't compile a psyche study on artists
hmmm i bet we could get a grant for it!

Unknown said...

Love it Jane. Thanks too for your commens!
ANNA

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful page indeed...I love the bottom one to...very dreamy!

peggy gatto said...

I love the soul journal, the colors and textures are so rich!
I found your blog from michael de mengs blog.
Enjoyed my visit here!!

Kathryn Costa said...

You've been tagged. Swing by my blog to see. :)

Trish said...

I just love your journal page!!

Linda D. said...

These are wonderful, it's one of the prompts that I want to try but as yet, haven't. I love your SJ pages, as you say the whole process can be revealing as well as fun. Enjoy the rest of your journey :)