In an attempt at breaking out of some of the creative boxes I’ve allowed to be built around myself (either willfully or by default), I’ve decided to sign up for a few self-led art classes.
The first class, called Illustrated Life Journal: A Daily Mindful Practice is described as follows:
What if you could improve your drawing skills, while taking some time to reflect on your day and unwind? Kate Sutton is a freelance illustrator who finds peace and inspiration through the daily practice of illustrated journaling. She believes it is a great way to document your life and appreciate the little things that each day brings.
Discover fun ways to fill your sketchbook through illustrated journaling. Kate shares her favorite prompts and ideas to begin the mindful practice of documenting your daily life and finding new ways to express your creative ideas.
Kate’s warm approach and non-judgmental style appealed to me as someone who is, essentially, beginning my creative journey again using new materials and new perspectives.
Am I working in my journal daily? No, not yet.
Am I enjoying each prompt? Absolutely.
Pieces I’ve completed in the course so far:
- Daily Gratitude
- A moment from a recent day
- What’s in my bag
What’s coming up next up in the course:
- What I’ve eaten in a day
- What I did or saw in a day
- Observations from a walk/run
- Things that inspire me
- A final project
There is also a filming and social media component to the class that I may or may not complete as I’m not looking to market my creations, just hoping to tap into my imagination in new/fun ways.
In that same vein, I’ve also decided to give myself a little flexibility in my first sketchbook! You might remember that, as one of my 50 before 50 goals, I set myself to learning how to draw with colored pencils. While I am still exploring different techniques with colored pencils, I’m also playing with merging mediums.
Case in point: My first self portrait in decades using water colors layered with colored pencils.
It’s me… and also not me 😉
And it is, indeed, a solid start to a new approach that I really enjoyed creating!
How’s creativity manifesting in your life right now? Any works in progress (WIPs) or inspirations brewing as the seasons slowly shift around us? I’d love to hear all about what you’re up to! Please leave a comment below and/or a link to what you’re working on if you have one!
Happy Crafting!
Onward,
Melissa
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I am mainly a crocheter, although I used to do needlework and crewelwork when I was much younger. I’ve been working on a crocheted temperature blanket for 2023 for almost two years now and have been stuck in July 2023 for almost a year. (You make a temperature blanket by recording high or low temperatures for a period of time, assign colors to various temperature ranges, and Nature designs your blanket for you). I enjoyed the peeks into your journal. Who knows, it may be material for a future archeologist to learn about us one day. Alana ramblinwitham
Hi Alana! Thank you for stopping by! I love that you are working on a temperature blanket! I made one in 2022 and it was so.much.work but such a lovely way to reflect on the year! I’ve played with the idea of making another one in 2027 to compare temps, but I won’t commit until we’re actually closing in on 2027 😉 Thank you for your kind words about my journal, it’s been such a joy to work in, as sporadic as I am with it! I hope you’re enjoying a lovely week!
I love your illustrated journal as well as the observation that your self portrait is both you and not you. Also, very fine picture of the cat.
I am finishing my children’s novel Darcy Dansereau, a slice of life fantasy set in Maine. I am at the fiddly copy editing stage. Not exactly fun but necessary.
Thank you, Laurie! I’m really enjoying the process of exploring my creative self 🙂
I hope the copy editing stage of your novel goes as smoothly as possible! It may not be fun, but seeing that beauty in print will be worth every single second!
That is a cool journal and nice drawings. I’ve never been good at the art thing.
Thank you thank you! It’s a lot of fun to play with colors and textures. Releasing my inner critic is the best part though 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful week!
If that is your journal, WOW!! that is awesome! I too, love the cat! My gratitude journal is just words, I’ve never even attempted to draw.. LOL I’m thinking of doing something similar in 2026 though. https://www.dailyom.com/courses/a-year-of-writing-to-uncover-the-authentic-self/
Hope you have a fabulous week!
You’re too kind, Kathleen <3 And you're not going to believe this but I signed up for A Year of Writing to Uncover the Authentic Self a couple of years ago and didn't complete it! I recently remembered it's mine forever and have been toying with the idea of starting again (and committing to finishing it) in 2026! Fancy that!
Hope your week is rolling by smoothly!
The journal looks like a wonderful way to express yourself artistically! Interesting idea to sketch a self-portrait, and, I bet, it was challenging as well. Nicely done, even if it isn’t entirely you. 🙂
My main creative outlet is my website, where I display photos, graphics, creative writing, etc. I also enjoy getting into the back-end stuff, even if I screw it up, sometimes. 😆
Hi Debbie! Thank you so much! I love my journal and how I’m learning to allow myself the freedom to do whatever I want with it 🙂
I love that your main creative outlet is your website! I can really see you passion in each page and post you create!
I hope your week rounds out beautifully!
I love the journal, I wish I could do something similar, but every spare minute of my time is taken with writing, so it will have to remain a dream!
Thank you so much, Keith! Maybe one day your dream will be a reality! One never knows 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
Melissa, I love the way of journaling that you shared. It’s so colourful and filled with life. I recently (like within the last week) started journaling again. You have inspired me to bring some of this energy to my journaling. Thank you!
Hi Shari! Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad my little journal has inspired you and hope you enjoy every minute!
This is such a lovely idea, and your work is amazing so far! I love that you’re motivated enough to be self-led through this process. You won’t regret the time you spend doing this, I’m certain. I did a one-month challenge where I sketched one thing I saw, one thing I heard, etc., and it was really out of my comfort zone. ha. But also a very good exercise for me. Maybe I’ll pick it up again….
Thank you, Lisa! It’s been such a fun project! I love the idea of sketching one thing each day for a month! I tend to overcomplicate things so a simple doodle or sketch would be a good challenge for me 🙂 Thank you for popping over! Hope you have a wonderful day and week ahead!
I love every bit of it. I am very glad and excited to see you doing this. The pages are so colorful, whimsical and wonderful!
-Soma
Thank you, Soma! It’s been such a joyful experience so far <3
I LOVE you creative journal. You are a natural artist in creating ‘in the moment’Every time I read your posts I keep promising to start a journal or at least write my memoirs to pass onto the family once I am gone. Our blogs are a record of our lives but will disappear once we don’t pay our yearly subscriptions
You are so right about our blogs disappearing as soon as we stop paying the fees. There is a balance in there somewhere that I am hoping to achieve between the paperform and the digital form 🙂