Reclaiming Your Creativity - why we give up on art

You don’t have to consider yourself ‘creative’ to feel the loss of your creative connection. We are all innately creative. As Picasso possibly, but definitely should have, said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”.

No one warned me about crits (no, not a kind of lice infestation). Up until college art had been my go-to mode of self expression. Art - drawing, painting and making stuff - was something which came from the heart and I believed it would be my life. Problem was, I wasn’t prepared for the cutting approach to critiquing art - aka crits - one could expect at college.

Torn to Shreds

Looking back I realise I definitely needed to shape up my artistic act, yet I was extremely fragile and the approach unnecessarily harsh. Having felt like a fish out of water at school I’d escaped to what I assumed would be the embracing arms of creative life, only to find myself flapping around there too. My biggest problem, it seemed, was my eye for beauty. Beauty was out.

“While I was all absorbed in myths, fairytales and Hitchcock glamour, my art tutors were into lard as a medium and tampons as dresses.”

I didn’t get it. One tutor told me I shouldn’t admire certain artists, advising that I look to his preferred artists instead - art I couldn’t relate to at all. While another took a rather brutal approach to our tutorials tearing work to shreds - sometimes literally.

My Art Was Pointless

Being a creative-type, for want of a better phrase, was pretty much my identity, so when my capabilities and inspirations came into question my already delicate sense of self was crushed.

“I believed that the art I was producing was all style and no substance. In other words: Pointless. It broke my heart. So I stopped making art.”

Cue Helen the wilderness years.

Losing Our Creative Connection

For most of us becoming disconnected from our creative natures might not be so profound or dramatic. The unfettered approach to making stuff, imagining things and asking questions we enjoyed as children often simply gives way to self consciousness and what my mother has long dismissed - with an eye roll - as ‘thinking too much’.

“The thing is, being truly creative requires us to let go of our egos and essentially ‘reclaim’ our childish approach to creativity.”

That means: making the mess, letting our minds wander, and asking what might feel like obvious questions. Which is exactly what I’ve been endeavouring to do for the last few years through my creative sketchbooks, collage work, and exhibitions with my art group SEVEN.

Reclaiming Your Creativity

So, how should you reclaim your creative self? Well, reconnecting with that child inside is a start - to put it more specifically your ‘magical child’ self, as I’ve recently seen it described. Sound corny? Yep, maybe. I can’t tell you how long I resisted woo woo talk of connecting to one’s ‘inner child’, but, ultimately, I’ve come to realise that relinquishing control and letting myself play is powerful.

Powerful because you’re tapping into that part of yourself that bypasses analytical, ‘over thinking’, self censoring you. Powerful because you’re accessing a space, a place, just for you. A place where you can express yourself freely, without judgement. A place where you can meditate, be mindful, relax and reconnect with yourself whenever or wherever you need.

So, what’s stopping you?! Here are few tips for embracing your creative self through art journalling:

• Just begin

• Start small

• Join a friendly art class or online group

• Buy a cheap sketchbook - A5 is great for beginners

• Gather some inexpensive art materials

• Give yourself a theme - Spring, for example

• Ask yourself a question - Like: Where am I now?

• Join an Instagram art challenge and respond to their word-a-day prompts - For example, #februllage for collage enthusiasts

• Set yourself some boundaries - Think: A 20 minute, playing card-sized collage a day OR a double-page spread in my sketchbook per week

• Keep playing

• Stop judging

• Wait and see what emerges

Want to reclaim your creativity? What will your first step be?

Art Journalling For Success - stop sabotaging, start scribbling

Forget about discovering other people’s secrets journals can reveal ourselves to ourselves - used effectively your art journal could help you bridge the gap from aspiration to manifestation.

Writer and essayist Joan Didion once wrote:

“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”

Which is one reason why keeping a written journal can be so revelatory. Yet, as I’ve mentioned in my introductory post on art journalling an art journal can do that too, only through the use of images, symbols, patterns, and more.

So how can a little old art journal help take your goals from wishes to wins?

Let me tell you a wee story about a glittery-green-eyed guy…

When vision boards don’t work

Some years ago, after my marriage ended, I found myself in a quandary. I was deep in a relationship rabbithole with a glittery-green-eyed guy. By day I was employed at soul-sapping central. By night I was living with a group of thirty-somethings carrying on like students. The rocky relationship seemed like my only safe haven.

This wasn’t the way I wanted things. I felt powerless and alone - even in the relationship. So, on one of our ‘breaks’ I attempted to regain some semblance of order by piecing together the flotsam and jetsam that had once been my aspirations by creating a vision board.

As neuroscientist Tara Swart says of vision (or action) boards:

“It is a way of aligning your deep subconscious and conscious brain, so that you can stop wasting energy on priorities that are at odds with the things that you really want, deep down.”

Central to that vision was a healthy relationship, inspiring work, and a place I could call home. Yet, just as I was feeling galvanised glittery-green-eyed guy was back. Poof! Just like that, there I was lounging in the land of the lotus-eaters, where taking action on any of my aspirations - which, to be frank, was a little bit scary - seemed. So. Over. Whelm. Ing.

“Problem is, a vision board which is all style no action is just a collage. ”

And so, my carefully cut-out desires crumpled under the weight of my cold-shoulder.

Art journal your adventure

While you may not be sabotaging your goals by getting distracted by glittery-green-eyed guys, most of us will concede that navigating the uncharted gap between where-you-are-now and ideal-future-you has its inevitable ups and downs.

It’s too easy to get all enthused by glossy magazines urging you to claim your golden future, only to find yourself teetering on the edge of an unfathomable abyss. Then your inner critic chimes in.

What the hell were you were thinking, anyway? Yesterday you were bursting with confidence and self belief. Today you’re harangued by the harpies of self doubt. But why? How come you leapfrog one setback only to be floored by another?

That’s where your art journal comes in to play.

While it isn’t so much a bridge from dream to destination, your journal can become a kind of travel guide. The signs and symbols you discover as you play in your book can help you clarify your desires, and reveal the weird and wonderful things which are holding you back.

As Tara Swart explains in The Source: open your mind, change your life, keeping a (written) journal is an essential component of her goal-attaining technique and helped her uncover her relationship with relationships:

“I found my journalling a powerful way to see that mistrust was leading me into repeated patterns of holding back from or avoiding intimacy that inevitably led to self-fulfilling prophecies.”

A useful insight, eh?

Self reflective art journal prompts

So, how can you use your art journal to help you keep on choosing your own adventure?

• Create one portrait of where you are now and another of where you want to be in a year or so (you could start with a photo) - try Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration

• Explore your inner critic - what does it look like / say / do?

• Make a map of the places, people and things that uplift you and another of those that pull you down - check out Grayson Perry’s maps on Google images

• Feeling stuck? Ask what would 7 year old you do - get in the flow and use colour, symbol and pattern to reveal the answer

• Find a favourite quote and illustrate it - see Pinterest for some prompts

• Start with a Rorshach inkblot and see where it leads - like here, for example...

• Create an abstract image detailing what wellbeing looks and feels like to you - again Pinterest and Instagram can provide much inspiration

• Plus, check out Journaling.com for podcasts and articles on keeping a written and art journal for wellbeing

Wishing you a rich and revelatory art journal journey. Say ‘hi’ to me on Instagram (sometimes Facebook) where I’ll be sharing more creative inspiration and details of upcoming events in London or Essex areas.

What’s an Art Journal Anyway? - from benefits to prompts + beyond

Imagine a place, just for you, where you get to express yourself without judgement and where being creative is an act of self-care. Enter the art journal.

When I was a teenager I used to pepper my journals with collage, illustration and comic-strip style stories pondering what seemed like hugely consequential incidents and emotions mostly concerning: boys, clothes, what-she-said, my place in a baffling world, and the like.

So, a few years ago when I [re]discovered art journalling it turned out my teenage self knew something thirty-something me had forgotten - that art you create just for you is a powerful way to express and explore your thoughts and feelings, and gain new insights.

That’s why art journalling has me hooked. But like any good book, there’s much more to this art journalling story. I believe anyone, whether you consider yourself ‘creative’ or not, will find art journalling an immensely pleasurable way to reconnect with yourself and rediscover hidden depths.

And, fortunately getting started with art journalling is pretty darned easy.

What’s an art journal?

Let’s make sure we’re on the same page and start off with a definition from moi.

“Put simply, an art journal is a book where you explore your thoughts, feelings and ideas visually.”

There tend to be two key types of art journal:

• The artist’s journal - Creative types will often keep art journals, or sketchbooks, to record inspirations, delve deeper into ideas, and try out new techniques without the pressure of having to create a finished piece.
  

• The personal journal - But the kind of art journals we’re talking about here are more akin to the written journal. Think Adrian Mole, but instead of a biro-brandishing spidery scrawl the art journalist primarily uses images, doodles, colour and patterns, and more.

But I’m not creative...

“Drawing prowess is often equated with being creative, but this is nonsense.”

Creativity is in our nature. As children most of us revelled in playing with paint, felt tips and crayons. Now, keeping an art journal will provide you with the perfect space to play.

Because art journalling is about the process. Often, the daunting thing about art is the thought of producing a finished product. You know, a painting or song or play, you then share with the big scary, critical world. But, in contrast, art journalling is focused on the journey and sharing is optional. Phew!

What do I do in my art journal?

The beauty of art journalling is that anything goes! Yes, that means all that stuff you enjoyed as a kid can be put to good use, think:

• Scribbling

• Doodling

• Collaging

• Painting

• Splodging

• Delicate drawing

• Destructive messes

• And, everything in between…

There are oodles of prompts and ideas out there on places like Pinterest and other art journalling communities - examples include Get Messy Art and Art Witch Academy. Prompts help you overcome blank page block and just get started:

• Get inspired by nature like Kristal Norton

• Create a collage by tearing and layering found images like Monique Vettraino

• Pick a photo or magazine page and alter it with pens and stickers like Naomi Vona

• Or play with pattern and colour like Sangita Chandrashekher

What are the benefits of art journalling?

I’ve mentioned some of the benefits you might experience by keeping an art journal, but in case you need a bit more convincing art journalling can help you:

• Record memories

• Work through emotions

• Get into your creative flow

• Get stuff off your chest and relax

• Get to the crux of a problem

• Rediscover what you want or need

• Reconnect you with your sense of self

• Be more present

• Have fun

And much more...

What do I need to art journal?

“Art journalling doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.”

• The book - It goes without saying that you need a book. A5 is a good size to start with. Ideally choose a book with paper which can deal with mixed media, otherwise your pages are liable to crinkle - which doesn’t matter in the least, of course, it’s all down to personal preference!

• Art materials - Start collecting a range of art materials. At first you might want to explore the discount stores or charity shops. Felt tips, permanent markers, indian ink, acrylic paint and glue will all be put to good use. And, remember, when it comes to art journals anything can be an art material, think: stickers, wrappers, vintage or found paper, feathers, nail varnish, fabric, etc.

Your art journal is for you

Your art journal is a space where you can relax and explore with colour, pattern, lines, and words. All you need is curiosity and an open mind. You can produce ‘ugly’ art or Instagrammable spreads. Share the results or keep them to yourself. In short, your art journal is your oyster.

• Check out my Instagram feed for more details of current art journal events in or near the Leigh-on-Sea and Southend areas in Essex.