Art Journaling as a form of catharsis

In my search for understanding, a wise woman once said to me, “Your true purpose is in your wounding. What hurt you and what was denied from you, what you craved in childhood and what you lost, this is what you were here to heal, accomplish, teach, and do for the world.”

Like many people, perhaps most people, I went through a life-changing crisis during COVID. I say this because I’m not special in this regard. But I am discovering my own coping strategies, which is also the way in which I am learning who I am. A healing strategy has been art journaling. It started initially as a self-soothing technique, then morphed into a fascinating, addictive pursuit, then became a full-on cathartic, mind altering, and life shifting process that has brought me to a destination I never imagined. I did this almost natural thing: I gave myself permission to be a child and abandon all ideas of perfection. I just enjoyed making bad art. I mean, full on Jackson Pollock splatters, finger-painting, mad doodling, and brain dumping of circling chaotic thoughts. I filled notebook upon notebook with craziness.

I made the mistake of sharing them with others. I remember a couple family members saying to me with a perplexed look set upon their brow, “You used to be so good at art.” I was much more careful after that. I recognize that these were meant only for me. Now I do want to say I have already developed the abilities to draw and paint. I think of these as skills, not necessarily merit in creativity. I can say with little pride, I have the ability to create pictures that look like photos, and I can mimic other established artistic techniques. But I think each artist truly longs to be special in some way, to find their own authentic mode of expression. The thing they can do and now one else. Perhaps the thing that they alone are meant to do for this world. This is how I found mine: one day I decided to go home and experiment with different mediums to come up with a lesson for a friend who wanted to explore abstract art. I was hypnotized, like I was usually doing when I get sucked into paintings, but this time I was able to completely abandon my own self and surrender to color, flow and sheer weirdness.

With this, I would very much like to spread the joy I discovered in this practice. I urge anyone who ever reads these blog postings going into the internet void, try just playing. I don't care what you pick up, crayons, colored pencils or just simply pen and paper. But give yourself a moment regularly to brain dump whatever is going on in that pretty head of yours. No one has to see it. In fact, I suggest you keep them to yourself initially and I dare you to discover what comes out!