30 days of art journalling
At the beginning of 2022, I decided I wanted to set myself a #30dayartjournalchallenge. Creating work each day in my art journal did indeed prove to be a challenge but it taught me some very valuable lessons along the way. In this entry I explain some of the tips and tactics that helped me get started and complete this challenge.
One thing that I quickly realised was that showing up to the page is just one part of the equation. To ensure success in developing a new habit we need to create the environment and space that will make it as easy for us to achieve the results we desire. In his book Atomic Habits James Clear states that “Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress.” It is the systems we create around our goals that help us to achieve them, not just the goals in isolation.
So let’s walk through some of the elements that will help you achieve a daily art journal practice for one month.
Establish your ‘why’. Before any drawing begins, take some time to really consider why this is important to you. Asking yourself five ‘Why’s’ consecutively can really get to the essence of your reason for wanting to establish a new habit . If you can, whittle it down to 1-2 concise sentences and write this statement in the beginning of your journal or somewhere visible. This might just keep you on course when you are feeling like it’s too hard to complete an entry on one of the days.
For example, this might look like: ‘I wish to complete this daily practice to prove to myself that I am dedicated to my art practice and want to improve my drawing skills.’
Decide on your materials and subject matter (your ‘what’).
I used to believe that having no restrictions equated to freedom in my art practice but I have learnt as I have gotten older that some limitations are actually liberating and conducive to creative thinking. If you restrict your medium down to one and even limit your colour options you eliminate some of the time spent in analysis paralysis. If budget is of concern you may even challenge yourself to use materials you already have around the house. I have seen incredible things done with the humble biro pen or seen the variety in studies painted with indigo paint.
Next, decide just what you’re going to paint! In my experience, a simple idea shouldn’t be overlooked.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
A leaf a day. Collect and gather leaves from a daily walk, your backyard or neighbourhood.
Landscapes. You probably already have quite a large collection of photos taken from the previous year on your phone. Create a new album and add images into this folder ready to go.
A flower a day: again, you may want to do some resource-gathering to have your ready for the task on hand.
Mandalas,
Shapes,
Faces.
Ensure you have all of the required materials (your ‘How’). If you’re like me and have a love for art materials this may be the easy part. Gather your materials if you have them on hand or seek out what is missing from your kit.
This may look like:
An art journal or 30 pieces of loose paper. In my classes I have always recommended an A5 journal as it is an easier page size to achieve a daily drawing on (much less intimidating than an A4 journal) . Make sure the paper is compatible with the materials you are wanting to use for this 30-day challenge. For example, I am using an A5 hard cover watercolor paper Moleskine art journal for this challenge as I intend to use the watercolour medium.
Your medium (s) of choice. If working with a restricted palette you may want to decide which colours you are going to use. This could include, but is not restricted to; coloured pencils, lead pencils, fine-liner pen, watercolour paint, gouache, collage etc etc.
Create both a physical and mental space for your practice (your ‘where’).
Having a studio space may be a luxury that is not accessible to you right now but don’t let this stop you from setting up your practice for this challenge. Now that you have selected your materials, decide on a designated space where you will carry this out and make it as appealing for yourself as possible. Clean and declutter it, add some indoor plants or a vase of flowers and even a mood board with your creative inspirations and quotes to get you in the right frame of mind. Set your art materials out ready to go or if you are working in a shared space, store them in a box close by so they can be easily collected/ put away after each session.
Establish when you are going to create your entries.
Next, take some time to reflect on when you would like to schedule this art journal activity. Getting up a little earlier before the kids or work obligations set in or perhaps later at night in lieu of TV time and mindless scrolling begins. If it helps, set an alarm for this time each day so it is scheduled for. (note- don’t be discouraged if you aren’t able to make one of your scheduled times on one day. If you miss the morning, make up for it at night time) Give yourself a minimum requirement of 5 minutes to add your entry. That way, if it is a particularly busy day, you can do the minimum and still achieve your entry. Again, set the timer on your phone and you will be amazed at what can be achieved in this short space of time.
Finally, establish your “Who”
Who will keep you accountable for this challenge? Perhaps you have a friend who might be interested in doing this challenge alongside you or if you’re going solo, perhaps you could let someone know that you are embarking on this challenge.
