Raw Art Journals--We don't find meaning, we make meaning.
Why Raw Art?
Raw Art is For People Who Can't Draw
I
wanted to develop a way for people who can't draw (and who want to do
more than write) to be able to create a beautiful, meaningful journal.My first step was to be OK with the fact that I am not an illustrator. Then I set out into the unknown areas of my imagination.
I used symbols I already knew--like a lightbulb for an idea, and an exclamation point for excitement--and added symbols I made up--like a plant made out of journal pages. You can see the result on the left. Whenever I look at it, it's my idea of raw art journaling.
Then I began to watch for patterns in nature, in typography, in magazines. I took photos or tore images out of magazines. I developed abstract lines and curves--doodles with flair--to use. Some were joyful, some secretly meaningful.
I developed a set of symbols that mapped my emotions. Success! I could
recall my emotions and have a beautiful journal. It worked for me, and
it will work for you!Questions? See if the answers are in the FAQs.
Need some classes in raw art? Here are some to get you started.
What Makes Raw Art Journaling Different?
Some years ago, I was sitting in a cafe, enjoying a perfect iced tea.
The day was sunny and mild, and the setting beautiful. An interesting
gate in the wall across the street caught my attention. The gate was
ornate, the wall plain, the flowers around it lovely. A woman at a
table close to mine was doing a watercolor sketch in her journal.
Perfect! I grabbed my journal and began to sketch. I'm not an illustrator. The gate I drew was crooked and looked odd. The plants looked sad and weird. I was embarrassed and got up to leave. As I walked past the watercolorist, I saw her lovely work and felt ashamed. The day was no longer beautiful.
What went wrong was that I could not draw what I saw. Suppose you found a way to draw that brought you joy and satisfaction because the act of drawing itself was satisfying?
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