The world seems so fast paced lately. More than ever. Do you feel this way? It’s whizzing by.
I’ve heard it said that we compare the worst parts of ourselves to the highlight reel of others' best moments. One of the things that troubles me about the speed of the online world is my tendency to do this.
It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others. The artist who has secured another exciting collaboration. The mother who is feeding her toddler nutritiously balanced, bite-sized, and colorful meals. The girl who stays on top of the trends in skincare, clothing, and handbags - and always has the latest product. The smiling family on an island vacation, posed in matching swimwear. The list goes on, and on.
In just a few minutes online, we’re exposed to the lives of so many people. It’s impossible to catch up. There’s always a new post. A new update.
Art journaling is a practice that helps me find respite from this fast-paced, screen obsessed world. To focus in on the tiny details. To play. To make small decisions without fear. To strengthen my own voice. To take my next creative step, free of comparison with others.
A lot of times, I just come to my journal and make a mess. I hastily grab a marker or glue stick to try to express what I’m feeling. What’s on the paper isn’t pretty. But with time, with each layer, the image starts to make sense.
My journal is a space for ideas and feelings I ruminate on slowly, in the background, without any plans for them to ever come to light. (But I find that eventually, when the time is right, they do.)
Every mark, every brush stroke, is a little step in faith, and a mindset of abundance over scarcity. Here’s to fearless creativity.
If you’re interested in exploring art journaling as a medium to overcome perfectionism in just 10 minutes a day, check out my class 10-Minute Art Journaling: A 7-Day Challenge to Conquer Artist’s Block. My referral link will allow you to take the class along a free one-month Skillshare membership, and explore thousands of the classes the platform has to offer. Happy journaling!