Dawn DeVries Sokol - 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations

Personal Pages and Inspirations

Dawn DeVries Sokol Journaling for me is my way of adding to the pool of remembrance, the accumulated stuff that makes up ME in the eyes of those who know and knew me. And though it may seem a little navel gazing, those words are my way of opening up my own brain and soul and saying, with a metaphoric hand wave to the future, Hey, this is me! JASON THOMPSON My extreme visual journaling practice, a unique process that I developed and teach internationally, comes from a desire to know my deep and tender shadow places, to give them voice, and to heal or transform them. My journal is the container, soul home, or witness protection program, not some proving ground. My pages are a place of safe keeping and honor where I transform my inner enemies into allies; where my weaknesses become strengths. Like a soul map, my pages allow me to see more clearly and more deeply the path to the real me. I have been saving my life in an extreme journal since 1987, page after page, book after book.

JULIANA COLES To bridge the often enormous gap between brain and canvas. Its that in-between space where I am still creative, but I dont have to commit to a big piece or a finished product. Journaling gives me permission to be free, to use scraps of whats lying on my workspace, to play with pattern, to not finish a page and not feel bad. Its a reflection of who I am during that moment. Time passes and journaling is an incredible way to look back and see who you were and who youve become. (P.S.

Date everythingeven if you think its not important!) MINDY CARPENTER, SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 Because it just feels good to doodle and write some things down. Its a release of sorts. Because I love pens and playing with them. To figure out what I want to bring into my life and dream about how it could come about. To organize my thoughts, especially of things I need to do; a pretty to-do list. Because its an ongoing way to play in artplaying in a way that doesnt focus on results.

PAM GARRISON Art journaling is an inner dialogue with my innermost selfa dialogue that keeps me true to myself and keeps me on my toes. As artists, we are constantly having this same inner dialogue through visual means. Wasnt it Picasso that said painting is just another way of keeping a diary? I find that painting and keeping a journal combine the two sides of meI am a visual person, but I also love the written word. And they both are vehicles through which my perspective of the world and my experiences get a voice. BRIDGETTE GUERZON MILLS If people knew just how much their life could change for the better, theyd all be racing down to the store to pick out a nice-looking journal and would begin. You dont know until you just try it, and see for yourself.

You have to allow yourself to get lost in the process. You have to allow yourself to play and relax your mind by letting it spill out onto your pages. You have to give yourself permission that the pages can be any thing you want them to belittle scribbles, a full blown-out colorful mess, a whole page of written wordsanything and everything goes. Then, take a look at what you did. You will learn so much more about yourself than you think you know. Also, journals are great ways of manifesting dreams and goals.

I have now learned that things I actually write in my journal have about a 90 percent chance of really happening. When the world finally realizes how powerful a journal can be, watch out! TEESHA MOORE Perhaps it would be better to ask, Why jump rope? or Why sing in the shower? Some things in life intuitively bring us joy, and were drawn to them, often, without understanding why. It would be easy to say we journal because it makes us happy, or because its therapeutic, but its something so much more primal than that. Deep down, at our very core, were all creative people. And in a world that values profit margins over all else, journaling has become the voice of the individual a sanctuary of creative expression. SOMEGUY

What is so thrilling about looking into the pages of someones art journal, going beyond the covers to find a curious gathering of thoughts, observations, random notes, and sketches? Maybe its the voyeuristic glimpse into such intimate territory; the ideas, the dreams, the tangible layers of ink and color and ephemera.

The turn of each page indulges us with revealing secrets and fresh insights. And, what makes some of us dare to share these pages, to expose ourselves? Maybe it is the knowledge that like-minded individuals will get it or get us. Showing our journals is a true act of sharing ourselves. If you have never kept an art journal, the prospect of doing so may seem intimidating, but the beauty of keeping a journal is that you dont ever have to share it. It can be a unique and private place in your life for personal exploration. Journaling may allow you to express yourself in a way you never thought possible and can help expand your artistic skills and confidence.

After sending out our initial call for entries for this book, pages poured in from not only the United States, but Canada, Great Britain, the Netherlands, India, Japan, Colombia, Israel, Brazil, Ireland, Iceland, and Lebanon. Our invitation requested pages in particular categories: sketched or doodled, mixed-media, fabric-based, collaborative, graphic and text-based, pages using found materials, as well as raw or extreme journals. Of course, we discovered that many of these pages cross several categories. Because of this we decided not to make arbitrary choices and divide the book into strictly defined sections. The pages flow through the gallery like one long road paved with inspiration. After receiving submissions from all over the world, I feel like part of a global community.

Hundreds of artists were willing to share themselves through their pages. These art journals may contain words in different languages, but they all speak to each of us. And one thing I know after working on this project: we are all artists, artistes, knstlers, artistas, artisti, or however you may pronounce it in your part of the world. Keep journaling,

You open your journal to a fresh blank page and think, OK, here I go! But nothing happens. Suddenly, the white surface staring back at you seems to mock you, almost telling you that you wont be able to fill the page and make a worthwhile mark. Relax.

Its easy to get hung up when beginning a page. Even journal artists who have been journaling for a while hit snags. Sometimes you just need a little nudge. Some of the journal artists who contributed pages to this book offer starting suggestions and prompts a-plenty. Consider this a list of recipes to get you cooking in your journal: Ways to Start a Page Write down one thing you can do today to make a difference. Open a dictionary or a book, point at a word or phrase, and use it to launch a page.

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