Ah, here we are at Day 27. Ignore the time stamp on my post if you are OCD. :) I generally tend to be pretty detail oriented, but as you can see from my picture and the corresponding note about the dates, mine are mixed up in my art journal. Oops. Sadly, I mixed up what day of the week it was, and totally forgot about the date. That's what holidays do to a person, and I'm kind of okay with that. It's been a relaxing holiday for us and very low-pressure.Speaking of low-pressure, I hate to point out my own hideousness, but that picture is supposed to be a thumbs-down. I tried a couple of times to get it right, and that was the best I could do. Being creative is not for the faint of heart, and usually, this is the time when I'd slap a bunch of gesso in my art journal, start over, and call it good. Or, as a friend told me she sometimes does, glue the page together and pretend it never happened.
But for the purposes of this exercise, I want you all to see that you don't have to be perfect to start an art journal.
Sometimes we're paralyzed by the demands of perfection, and the need to get it right. That need sometimes stifles us, and sometimes, it's okay to let things be what they are. I don't share any of this because I'm a great artist, rather, I share my art journal because there's something beautiful that happens in my mind, body, and soul when I make art. I want to share that process with you.
I want you to know the same freedom I found with letting things be imperfect.
Of course, being vulnerable and sharing authentically isn't without its drawbacks, and there are times when I have to say that I didn't totally let loose in my art journal. I think this entry is perhaps the most interesting simply because of the dichotomy between the imperfection of my ugly art, and the fact that I totally wasn't real with my entry. The trouble with being yourself in public is that sometimes, especially when you have a tendency to be "delightfully unfiltered" as my friend John Olson labeled me, you do have to occasionally put a filter on to avoid hurting people's feelings.
Today was one of those days. It's bad form to put on the World Wide Web that never sleeps, goes away, or forgets, that Great-Aunt Prudie's hand-knitted nose muffler was not a cherished gift. So sadly, I can't share what my least favorite gift was, or who gave it to me, but for the record, as far as I know, I do not have a Great-Aunt Prudie.
Today's art journal topic is your least favorite gift.
Here is my journal entry:
"I am so thankful for my least favorite gift. Even though it was not something I loved or would have chosen for myself, I know the person who bought it for me thought I would. Thank you for that person's kindness. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
How can you be thankful for your least favorite gift?
I'd love for you to share your art journal masterpieces. You can either post them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #DecemberThanksgiving, or feel free to email me if you want to keep it private.
And, if you'd like to receive a PDF with all the art journal challenges for this month, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter!
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