My Journal's Manifesto

My journal is ephemeral by nature. It waxes and wanes with each phase of my life. It is mercurial in it's temperament. It is a journey that claims a destination before one is actually found. By its very nature it is transient - betwixt and between the thoughts that compound themselves in my mind.  It is a snapshot of a moment and that moment is fleeting, fading the moment it has come into being and gone before one can truly register and reflect on it's existence.  This then is the crux of my mission when I journal. To quickly record a visual representation of my thoughts and feeling and to add words that then give a key to my personal code.  Later on, if I choose, I can then go back and reflect on the moment or close the book on it and move on. In the end it is all the nature of life that we are in constant flux and so why should our journals not be the same as well?  Let them patina with time and display the signs of wear and tear.  I want my life to be well lived and so why not my journals as well?
Don't worry about what will happen when you've reached your destination. Instead, why not enjoy the journey?

Photography Circle: Cameras, Cameras, Cameras

One of the things I truly enjoy doing is talking to my art friends on how we approach different mediums. It's amazing how the same tools translate very differently from person to person. It is this fantastic dynamic that has inspired me to collaborate with two other artists, all uniquely different in their vision to talk about one of my favorite mediums: Photography. More specifically how we use photography in our journaling. From March 5^th through March 9^th, Less Herger from Comfortable Shoes Studio, Traci Bunkers and I will be discussing our own personal views on the subject with a three part blog hop (or circle as we like to call it).

March 5^th: Cameras, cameras, cameras – Will be discussing the types of cameras we enjoy using and why.

March 7^th: Process, Create, Alter - Our discussion will continue with the different ways we choose to alter our photos. What type of programs allow us to alter our photos to fit our vision.

March 9^th: A picture is worth a story and then some – In this last segment we'll touch upon the various ways we've incorporated our pictures in our journals.

So, I hope you will join in our discussion and show us your ways of using photography creatively in your journals.

I have three cameras that I use. They all have their pros and cons and work well in different situations. I will only touch upon the types of cameras I use but when it comes to cameras there are so many choices that it is hard not to find one that will work for you.

DSLR:

My big investment was a Canon Digital Rebel XSI.  This was a huge jump from my point and shoot because now I had complete control over my camera. This requires forethought on my part. To think through what it is I am going to take a picture of. When this camera comes out, it's about creating a moment instead of capturing one.  I see photography as a artistic medium.  Creating a moment (as I did above) means orchestrating the scene in a picture to convey the emotion and story in your head. I have a number of lens with this camera.  I have a zoom lens, a fixed focal length lens (50 mm) and a lens baby which is a tilt shift lens.


Point and Shoot: 

 My first digital point and shoot camera was a Kodak 2mp easy share camera. It was only capable of printing out 4x6 pictures but from the moment it came into my hands I fell in love with it. This camera was artistic freedom. I no longer had to wait to see my pictures or worry about wasting film if I didn't get the shot right. It was instant gratification at its finest. Nowadays the type of camera you can get for less than 130 dollars is impressive. They are thin, sleek and compact and even take video as well!  I currently use a Canon powershot 12mp point and shoot.  I use this camera as a backup to my cellphone camera and since it records 1080 hd video, I film videos with it as well.

Cellphone:

 I have an android smart phone and to say that this little device changed the way I take photos is an understatement. As smart phones become more sophisticated their cameras become better. My phone currently boasts an 8mp rear facing camera which is pretty amazing considering that it is, in fact, a phone. I can see why they say that the point and shoot cameras have taken a hit in terms of sales. Why have a point n shoot when you can have pictures of comparable quality come out of a phone? It is one less thing to carry around.

The best things about smartphones when it comes to photography are the many applications (apps for short) that are available for free or a small fee. From vintage to faux lomo photography, you can find an app that can alter and change your photos in a way you'll find pleasing.  This currently my favorite camera because of ease of use and availability.  It is always with me and so I rarely miss an opportunity to take a photograph.

But this is only my way of using my cameras.  Hop on over to Less Herger's and  Traci Bunker's blog to see how other artists use their cameras.

Next:  What types of programs we use to alter our photographs.

New year, new endevours

I’ve been quiet for the last few weeks. Lots to do with the coming new year: Children off from school, my own job becoming hectic as well as some personal issues that resulted in getting myself hooked up to a heart monitor. (I’m fine, if you’re wondering). Anyway, lots of reasons why it was best to put the blog on an impromptu hiatus but I’m back and ready to kick off the New Year with some pretty cool things to share.  Two of these things I can’t currently share as I have to wait for the people involved to give me the okay but let it be said now that it is full of art and positive vibes and I’m excited to be part of it.

One of the things that I can speak on that I will be doing this year is hosting something on my blog as well as artjournaling.ning.com that will involve creating an art/visual journal out of a composition notebook. This of course is not a new concept but it’s been a long 7 month process of answering the question: Do I really need all this “stuff” to create something that holds meaning and is aesthetically pleasing to my eye? 

This is something I hold close to my heart.  When I asked the question, I was actually answering it for my daughter, who is a very creative soul. How can I look at a 10 year old and say, “Well, you’re going to need some gesso and some golden acrylics and if you’re going to get watercolors best to get the Winsor and Newton ones.  You can ask your parents to buy them for you, right?”  Obviously that’s not exactly encouraging or motivating. The same can be said for adults who perhaps are not brave enough or financially secure enough to justify buying expensive artist grade supplies. It’s a scary world out there, when certain industries have picked up on the fact that there is a market for those who enjoy journaling visually and have decided to make bank on it! What is a person to do?   I’ll tell you what you do – Ignore them all and do your own thing!  And that, my friends, is what I hope to encourage others to do.   So, stay tuned it’s going to get interesting up in here.

Stonewall

Stonewall, a photo by sirens_idyll on Flickr.

Stonewall

Photography Sunday: Sunset

Sunset, a photo by sirens_idyll on Flickr.

Sunset

Creative Outlets

I go though phases. They are motivated by time obviously and maybe less obvious, season. Fall makes me want to go outside. I have no time to sit and draw, I want to walk and play and experience the world at large. This is why I always loved photography. So, I decided to try a new project with the goal of posting one new photograph a day. I hope you will join me and if you stop by, say hello.

http://visualjournaling.blogspot.com

Little Universe

My children start school tomorrow. A new town with a new house having to go into a new school. They are excited over the thought of a new adventure. It doesn't scare them and they are not afraid to think the best. The world expands before them like a well-paved road and they see no bumps, no pot holes just a horizon of opportunity.

Makes you rethink things. Such a large world we live in but if we don't see the possibilities in our own little universe, then what good is the bigger picture?

Through a looking glass

I can welcome the rain. I can. It's just that I don't wish to right now. It's an uninvited guest. It didn't call before it knocked at my door and I'm still in my PJ's.
So, I'll live today as if it were blue and green with dollops of cream.

To connect or not to connect ....

What would happen if you shut off the phone and disconnected your computer/laptop? What if the T.V. was on the fritz and your cell phone stop offering text messaging or twitter pic uploads? What would you do then?

I'll tell you what I would do and for the sake of simplicity and honesty here, I'm gonna lay it out there.

• I'd have more quality time with my children.


• I'd have more time to clean.


• I'd have more time to do art


• I can be more active outside


• I can take more photographs


• I can create photography assignments for myself and my daughter


• I can read more


• I can decorate my home.


• I can garden


• I can do more art.


• I can journal more


• I can take long walks.


• I can discover the state that I live in.


• I can spend more time with my spouse.


• I can discover something new.

12 years ago I had no cell phone and I barely had an Internet connection. It wasn't very important to have one and if you wanted to get a hold of me you'd have to wait. Oh yes, that dreaded word. The world had to wait, was expected to wait. If you had to notify me of something you either left a voice message on my answering machine or you would mail me a letter. People were allowed to have lives. Instant describe more the type of coffee you drank, not the speed of communication. The Internet is a fantastic tool and a cell phone is a wonderful invention. Both have their place in my life but sometimes, it takes over what you are until you are left with nothing at all. So, for the next few months, I take back my time. I encourage you to take back yours as well.

On the edge

I'm always on the precipice of something. Always looking down as my feet teeter totter over the edge, wondering when it's the right time to jump. This whole summer has been a strong hand pushing me toward something but what, I do not know. The weather has been unseasonably cool, the rain a constant companion to the season. The clouds are Kamikaze fighters, battling for space in a claustrophobic sky. My mind has been focused. It has been here, it has been now. There is not time for creativity, there is no moment to dabble in arts. My mind has run a marathon and only when it crosses the finish line will it say, "enough."

I sense the marathon coming to an end. The summer is ending and so begins the best time of year. The air is beginning to stir and whisper through the leaves. Their repose is coming soon, their lullaby is in the making. It's time, my darlings' to become something other than the domesticated diva. The artist is beckoning like a siren and who am I to deny her?

So, I jump.

Rain Forrest Dreams

My world is a lush haze of green. Everything around me is soaked, wet and growing. The earth is greedy and why shouldn't it be? It's been denying itself for months now, sleeping soundly underneath the snow and ice. There are moments where I am overwhelmed. There is too much stimulation of the senses and I feel the need to shut it all out. I'm alright with the world around me. I may have my moments where I rant and rave about this or that but all in all, I'm okay. There is a school of thought where people feel they must force their happiness. I just recently posted over at twitter that, "Happiness does not barge into your front door. It's too busy waiting for you to invite it in." All I hear around me is, Goddess this and Sacred that. You are worthy, follow your bliss, listen to your heart and move without inhibitions. Dream big, dream small, dream not at all. So much to listen to, so much to aspire to, so much that it becomes too much all together.

Shut off the stimulation. The grandiouse gestures, melodramatic sentiments. Move past the sincere aspirations and miraculous synergy that you wish you were apart of. For one moment, sit in silence and be okay with the world. Understand that you cannot control anyone but yourself, that satisfaction is found in the simplicity of your happiness. That validation at times is the moment of your greatest sorrow. Be okay with the silence. Perhaps you might find what you're looking for after all.

I've been lazy with this journal. Languid and naughty like a kitten playing with the cream in her milk, I have let this journal go into disuse. In the area where I live, the weather cannot decide if it will deliver a deluge of mild weather or a rampage of summer heat. The trees exploded all at once as if they needed to put their Sunday best on for the parade. I live in a valley of dogwoods in pink frills and gentlemanly oak and ceder in gallant green attire.

My mind wanders endlessly. It hikes, it bikes, it swims through stories that gleefully skip away like rambunctious toddlers. Nevertheless I enjoy the occasional musing that I leave here. It's like inviting guests to tea on a picturesque day.

Time is a fickle thing. One moment it passes slowly, aging in seconds that linger on for eternity. The next moment it flutters away in the pause between a breath.

I'm holding my breath...

The world turns...

My job ends on the 31st. I admit both relief and anxiety are both warring inside of me. I will be going back to school briefly to gain some certificates in the field I am working in but with that, I am also expanding the possibilities of what could be artistically for me. The road is curving ahead and I cannot see where it goes.

I guess that is part of the journey itself.

Journaling or not?

A lot of what I do, I consider as just creating art. While there might be some message or feeling behind what I do, it is not always auto biographical. I feel safe showing it on here because what you see is more of what I enjoy to show. I love the visual journals of Traci Bunkers. (http://tracibunkers.blogspot.com/) They are very raw and honest pictures of her life. I admire her bravery of displaying them for the world to see and judge but it also brought to mind my philosophy on art journaling.

I like to think that I have an art journal, that is, that I enjoy creating art in a journal on a daily basis. It is a chronicle of my process and progress and a good coffee book when I am done! ;)

What I would like to have is a visual journal, to many of you there is no distinction but to me there is. A visual journal in my eyes is just that. A personal journal of your life that you express with more than just words. To me it is different in that the former is a chronicle of my artistic endeavors while the latter would be a chronicle of my life, my thoughts and my journey as a person. It's a bit more personal and makes me feel more vulnerable.

I am thinking on it, only because I am of the idea that it is important to have a heart outlet, a place to let it all out without fear of repercussions or judgment. A place to look back on and reflect and even learn from.


I enjoy sharing my art journals, they are part of my process but I believe I might have to keep a visual journal as well for the purpose of having a place to expel thoughts and feelings and then stick it under the bed for another day.

Work in Progress

There is a Gorilla siting in the back of my mind and it's patiently waiting for me to tempt it with a banana.

Peace is a work in progress. There are always bananas trying to make that other part of you want to come out and play.

Motherhood

Someone asked me the other day what motherhood was like. I answered, "Motherhood is the knowledge that your heart no longer resides within but outside your body."

"Sounds scary," they mused.


Oh you don't know the half of it.