BLOG: 10 Ways to Use Art Journaling for Self-Care

I use Art Journaling a lot in my creative life coaching practice. It can be used it to deeply ponder and explore any topic or issue, it can be a healing tool for self-expression, and it can provide a record of your coaching journey. Clients love it!

It is both engaging and relaxing, so it makes a significant and immediate contribution to your well-being. Creativity can also help to increase your confidence and can give you a more positive outlook on life. And Art Journaling can easily become an enjoyable ongoing self-care activity as you create further pages and add them to your Journal.

While these general benefits are all fabulous reasons in themselves to create an Art Journal, you may be wondering just how you could adapt the idea in a more specific, more personal way.

Well here are 10 ideas for creating Art Journals around an idea or theme to give you some inspiration! All of them will give you a perfect opportunity to engage in some well-deserved self-care. Some of these projects you may want to keep for yourself, and some of them would make beautiful, meaningful gifts.

And you can make them any size you like, from A4 down to mini tag books. Some Art Journals, for instance an illustrated poem or song, will consist of a limited number of pages, while others are more of an ongoing, open-ended project.

1) as a place to keep some of your favourite things – poems, photos, lyrics, quotes

2) as a tool for positive thinking (affirmations for example)

3) as a sketchbook for your thoughts and creative ideas

4) to chronicle life’s milestones – new baby, anniversary, graduation, wedding, first day of school

5) a tribute to a loved one (person, pet) who has passed away

6) for decision making – for processing, deciding, evaluating

7) for personal growth – as a form of meditating, dealing with stress, taking time out

8) as a truly personal keepsake gift for a loved one - perhaps for your children, grandchildren, spouse, siblings – birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday, Father’s Day

9) to try out art materials and techniques to use later in full scale pieces

10) as a record of your self-care journey

How many ideas did you just get reading through that list?? Take that positivity and make a start on one of them today!