Easy Art Journal Project: Jumping into Art Journaling

Today’s easy art journal project is a great way of jumping into art journaling. If you are new to art journaling or not sure where to start, this easy art journal project may be a great place to dive in.

Art journaling is a great practice for self-expression. It is a place to express our thoughts and feelings in a safe space. It can also be a great way to try out new techniques and products by practicing on a small surface.

Jumping into Art Journaling

At first, art journaling may seem intimidating and challenging. There are so many techniques and supplies out there, it can be hard to know where to start. This easy art journal project is meant to help you move past the uncertainty by using simple materials, like paper and pens to create a beautiful page.

Choosing Your Art Journaling Topic

Sometimes we can get stuck trying to figure out what to create with and what thoughts to express in our art journal. Some days you may have a torrent of emotions. Other days you may stare at the blank page, wanting to create and having no idea where to start.

You can choose very serious topics for your art journal, while other topics may be more lighthearted and fun. I keep several journals, one that is very personal that I use to work through the harder, more serious topics. It is important to have a space to create that is just for you that will not be evaluated or judged by anyone.

But I believe there is also power in sharing your passion and creativity with people, so having a more “public” journal is  also great idea. This can be a place for the more fun and lighthearted pages that you are comfortable sharing with others.

Art Journal Page Inspiration

This easy art journal project’s inspiration is from the Wild Whisper Designs summer release. The collection is called “Until We Eat Again.” I was drawn to the colors, designs and the fun quotes and puns included in this collection. One of the papers in this collection had a definition for “Hangry” and I could not resist including it in an art journal page.

I have been through quite the journey over the last few years with my physical and mental health. One healthy self-care habit I practice is being vigilant about when I eat. I learned very quickly that hunger had a direct effect on my emotional health. Hunger led to headaches, which often led to anxiety, exhaustion, and a spiraling of my emotional state.

The solution is to always have food with me and making sure to eat regularly. This has become a healthy habit in my life. I now carry a collection of snacks and water in my purse when I go somewhere. By purposely planning events to be before or after lunch or dinner, this ensures that my eating schedule is not affected.

I arrange my day around meals. It is not about obsessing about food but being mindful about how food affects my mental and physical health. My awareness about this has made a huge difference in how I feel every day. It has been a way of making sure that I show myself compassion and self-care.

The Easy Art Journal Project

Adding Paper to the Journal

Start by cutting down the 12×12 inch piece of paper to a size that will fit in your journal. Use your favorite adhesive to adhere the paper into your journal. I used Sookwang double sided tape for this step, but you could use any type of clear glue, glue stick or gel medium to adhere your paper into the journal.  

Adding Ink Through a Stencil

I love the texture of this paper but wanted to add additional texture to the page. Using Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide Ink and the Wild Whisper Designs Circlet stencil, add ink to the page through the stencil in a random pattern. Adding the circle shapes tie in nicely with the ephemera that will be added to the page in the next step.

Adding Ephemera to the Page

I love adding focal images to my art journal pages, and the ephemera pack “Until We Eat Again” had beautiful imagery that worked perfectly for this page. I grouped the ephemera to create strong focal groups and used double sided tape and glue dots to adhere them to the page. By overlapping and grouping images, this adds interest to the page.

Add Journaling

Add journaling to the page by adding writing around focal images or the blank spaces on the page. There are no rules for how to add journaling to your pages.

For this easy art journal project I used 3 different colors of paint pens that coordinated with the paper. You can also use a variety of other markers or gel pens for this step. If you plan to use paint pens, please visit this post where I talk about what to look for in a paint pen.

Questions?

Any questions about this art journal project or how to jump into art journaling? I would love to answer any questions that you may have. Please comment below or contact me directly by email. I hope that you consider giving art journaling a try. It is a fun, creative way for personal self expression. Have a great week and I hope you take some time for personal self care.