want to start a new hobby this year? try creative journaling

WE’RE ALL CREATIVE UNTIL WE PUT RESTRICTIONS ON OURSELVES - DON’T LET THESE MISCONCEPTIONS STOP YOU FROM GIVING CREATIVE JOURNALING A GO

I’m on a mission to heal the world with creativity - one journal at a time.

Why? Because, now more than ever we are living in an era of emotional intelligence, we are becoming more aware of an innate need to slow down and turn inwards and collectively we are actively seeking out more meaningful ways to do so. In today’s fast paced world, creative journaling is the perfect tool and process to support this desire to slow down, to tune in and to truly unwind.

I know that many people want to tap into their creativity, are intrigued by creative journaling but more often than not, these 3 misconceptions are stopping them from getting started. So on today’s blog post I am busting the myths and misconceptions I hear all the time, to prove that everyone can access (and benefit from) their creativity - whether you can draw a stickman or not!

myth #1 - “i need to spend money on expensive supplies”

You do not need the most expensive supplies. Especially if you are a beginner. Expensive supplies can give us immediate paralysis because we are too scared to use them in case we 'muck it up' and waste our money (how many completely blank journals with gorgeous covers do you have sitting on a shelf that you don't want to 'ruin'!?) Our nice expensive things just sit on the shelf or sit in the box. Cheaper supplies give us permission to wreck (use) them!

Less is best. If you already have a lot of supplies and a lot of different techniques you want to try, you will probably be familiar with the paradox of choice creeping in - stopping you from actually getting started. You do not need all the colours in the box! You can create just as well with three paint tubes and some scrap paper as you can with a box of 24 and a sketchbook - true story!

So not having enough supplies, or too many supplies or the right supplies (insert other supplies related excuse here) is not a good reason to delay starting creative journaling. Use what you have at hand and surprise yourself with what you can create from that. The image below shows the materials that I regularly create with, as you can see its a limited and inexpensive ‘kit’.

myth #2 - “i need to be able to draw”

Drawing skills are not required. Creative journaling is so much more about self-expression than drawing skills and perfect technique. Techniques like collage, using stencils, mindful mark-making, printing and general mess-making do not require any drawing skills, only the skill of 'trusting in the process'.

The process of creating often leads to what I like to call ‘happy accidents’ - where you create something unexpected, something you love, something that has meaning. These happy accidents are what make you feel like an 'artist' and more often than not, these happy accidents (the trusting the process and creating where the page and the materials lead you rather than focusing on a ‘perfect drawing’) are the pieces of art that you are most proud of.

On a similar note, you beautiful handwriting is also not required! There are so many ways to add words to art journaling, so many ways to combine imagery and writing, messy handwriting and spelling mistakes are welcome here - if you’d like to learn more about adding words to your journal when you don’t like your handwriting, read this post.

myth #3 - “i don’t have time”

One of the biggest barriers to creativity and to self-care is 'time'.

We are all chasing self-care, we all know that it is important but somehow it always drops off of our to-do list (if it even made it on there in the first place!). Life is busy. We think we are too busy to prioritise something as insignificant as painting and writing in a journal.

Nobody has time, you have to MAKE time. As with all hobbies or self care activities you have to CHOOSE to make time. Prioritising yourself and your creativity isn't always easy, however, it is possible to find pockets of time, to set yourself up for success, to make creativity more accessible and stop this feeling like ‘another thing to add to your to-do list’.

Here are 3 ways you can ‘find time’ for creative journaling in your busy day:

Make it accessible: set up a creative space - where you can leave your journal open and your supplies ready to go
Get up 20 minutes earlier/stay up 20 minutes later
Choose to prioritise it - if you can’t schedule it in, get creative - why not have a quick creativity session while the washing machine completes a load

Did you know just 15 minutes of mindfulness a day can significantly reduce feelings of stress and greatly boost your wellbeing? 15 MINUTES! Your creative journal is one way of practising mindfulness. If you want to dive deeper into using creative journaling for self care in just 15 minutes a day, learn more about our course The Art of Self Care.