I think the last two years I’ve gone through more stress and anxiety than I can remember. My coping mechanism for most of it is to go in my art room. There are some days I just go in and sit there and maybe watch a movie. Others I open up my art journal and just play. Opening a journal to a blank page never helps so I always have one journal near my table where I add my left over paint.
The Crafters Workshop provided me with stencils and mediums to create this project. The opinions I share are solely my own because I do love to use them.
Today’s journal page I started with this page. The stencil is the new TCW944 Monarch Journal. When I looked at it reminded me of my mood, a little dark around the edges.
Since I wasn’t in a great mood, I added some dark blue paint and used a paper towel to pull off the paint through the stencil. The top of the page was blank so I added a sky because now it looked like a hillside. I this point in the process I realized my mood was changing.
Using the same stencil, I decided the round spikey shapes looked like flowers to me. I just added some with paint and the others I added with TCW9004 Light and Fluffy Modeling Paste. As I’m adding the flowers my mood is starting to shift to a more peaceful place.
Next I added neon pink paint to the flowers and a quote to finish it. It’s not perfect and it doesn’t need to be. It’s the light rising out of darkness which I so needed at the moment.
I’m not going to lie and say playing in my art journal always works. It doesn’t. This time is helped me through a rough patch where I needed create something to keep my mind off it. What do you do when you’re stressed? Do you paint you feelings? Leave me a comment and let me know.
If you use TCW Stencils, stamps and mediums in your art, we would love it see it. Please share it with us on our Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest using hashtag #tcwstencillove.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Karenliz Henderson
The Crafters Workshop Design Team
Thank you Karenliz. Crafting is my release too but being a perfectionist can sometimes add to my stress! I’m new to art journalling but I can already see that it gives you a freedom to enjoy your art without the worry of mistakes.
Sending positive vibes. xx
Thank you Julia. I’m happy you found art journaling to help your stress too!
While I initially struggled with making each page in my art journal come out “right,” I now move from one idea to another and it comes out however it comes out. You are correct – it isn’t always the way I wanted it to look. It also doesn’t always end up where I thought I was going when it started. It does give me release and that’s what I need.