Art Journal to Vent Frustrations
The First in a Series of Mixed-Media Art Book Page Projects
Self-help books constantly point out the importance of keeping a journal. This doesn't work for those who don't like to write. Let's make art instead.
Journaling through frustration is very therapeutic, particularly when you find resolution. Sometimes, however, there are no solutions to these problems right away. In cases like these, it is important to vent out frustrations rather than keeping them bottled up. What happens, though, when there is no one available to act as a sounding board?
Use your art journal. For this art journal prompt (theme: frustration), you will need the following materials:
- Art journal
- Gesso or white acrylic paint
- Small container of water
- Paintbrushes
- Your favorite magazine
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Ballpoint pen
Work on this art journal prompt during a quiet time of the day, if possible. Find a comfortable place to work and spread out your materials.
- Flip through your favorite magazine and cut out every image, piece of text, article, and quotation that makes you happy. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as you find happiness looking at it or reading it. Set this pile aside for now.
- Open your art journal to the first blank page spread and get out the ballpoint pen. Write out everything on both pages that have been frustrating you right now, or within the past several days. Be messy, write small, write large, write crooked. Scribble, scream, vent, rant and rave.
- Using the gesso or white acrylic paint, paint over both pages until all the words of frustration have been covered over. Be sure this has dried completely before moving on the next step. A heat gun or hair dryer will speed up this process.
- Collage over the pages using what was cut from your favorite magazine, leaving some room here and there to write. Create a presentation that you like, without worrying about how it will be perceived by any future audiences. Allow to dry completely under a heavy stack of books to prevent page curls and ripples (unless, of course, you like that look and texture in your art journals).
- Write a few sentences here and there about why these selections make you happy. You may wish to research some quotations or poetry online or in books, rather than writing journal entry type text.
Although this is a very simple art journal project, you will be surprised how this simple act will make you feel better. It is important to vent, but it is equally as important to focus on what makes you happy. Repeat these pages as often as necessary to keep yourself from bottling things up and losing focus on your identity.
