The Value of an Idea Journal

I tried so hard to be a "journaler" when that avenue of art first became so popular.  I both made and bought journal after journal each time promising myself that I would fill it with my art.  What I discovered is that I am NOT a journaler!!  Haha!  The reason:  I am an all or nothing person.  A page in those journals is exactly like a one of my complete paintings (translation:  hours and hours of work, with pressure to make it perfect!).  Not that my paintings are perfect but I like a certain look and can't get past the feeling that something is not complete until I hit that level of detail I am looking for.  Here are a few journal pages (I just took pics of the pages, I didn't crop them or try to make them more presentable!):

I so admire the people who can make amazing journal pages in a reasonable amount of time.  I'm not one of those people!!  Consequently, I stopped trying to do this type of journaling.  That's not to say I don't keep a journal!  I keep an IDEA journal....a place to put the things that pop into my head all day long.  A LOT of the ideas in this journal become complete paintings, though on wood, not in the journal.  Here is my current journal (I posted a picture a while back):

This journal is never far from me.  I have so many weird things bouncing around in my head that I can't possibly remember them all.  I add little drawings to the pages constantly.  The best part for me is that there is no pressure to make any of the drawings anything other than "ideas".  Here are a couple of pages:

As you can see from the first page, three of the little drawings have already become completed paintings, click here to see the completed paintings.  On the second page, I am currently working on pendants from the little drawings (I'll do a post when they are ready).

Personally, I have so much inside my head that I can't possibly remember all the ideas.  I can't tell you how many times I look through my journal for an idea for a new painting and I don't even remember drawing some of the pictures.  That means that idea would have been forgotten forever had I not drawn it right then!  There is no pressure because I know these are just ideas and the details will be added elsewhere when I start the actual painting.

I only show you all of this to encourage you to do whatever type of "journaling" that appeals to you.  I have accepted my own limitations to traditional journaling and embraced the style of journaling that works for me.  There is HUGE value in that!

xoxo                  I love you guys!