Visual Journaling

I enjoyed listening to this discussion on visual journaling. One of the most notable themes is the importance of emphasizing the act of creation as opposed to the success of the final product of creation. The actual experience of creating, especially during these times of stress and anxiety, is far more beneficial when the artist is focused toward the artistic process instead of creating a “good” piece of artwork. And the artistic process can be a powerful thing – as Ian Birky stated, being aware of what stimulates us can often amplify that stimulation’s effect. In other words, recognizing the mental and emotional benefits of creation will often make those benefits even stronger. When painting or working on some other art piece, I tend to focus on the end product of the process. I would certainly benefit from taking the time to think about how painting and creating helps me emotionally. I often paint when I am anxious or bored, although I rarely stop to ask myself why I do this. By stopping and appreciating how the artistic process improves my mood, I can develop a more meaningful emotional connection with an activity that I enjoy. As was mentioned in the discussion, the enjoyment of creating is much more important than the final creation itself, which I think is an important lesson.

For my visual journaling piece, I decided to focus on the feelings of boredom and loneliness that I have experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. I find these feelings tend to be especially strong at night, which is consequently when I like to paint or create. I tried not to think too much about what I was drawing and just to have fun with it, which is why I ended up with this more humorous design.