Just last night, I shared with my art journal students that I can’t figure out why yellow is such an integral part of my pages. I’d estimate that 60% of the pages are prominently yellow. I don’t yet know why this is the case, especially since I’ve known purple and blue and red as favorite colors. And now it’s so yellow.
I used this example to help my students see that we will often find ourselves drawn to forms of expression that we can’t quite figure out. It’s important to pay attention to what we’re doing in our art journals when no one else is looking. When no one else’s expectations come on us. These are signs and roadmarkers to where we really want to be.
We often travel through life using someone else’s map. We do what we think we’re “supposed” to do. This is ok. This is what it means to be a responsible adult, right? But responsible adults also know their own unique role in society. They are self-aware and show up for the task they have been born to do.
And sometimes, what we’re born to do and what we’re “supposed” to do are in conflict.
Through art journaling, I have the opportunity to hold a mirror-like page before my students, and ever so subtly ask them, “What do you see?”
Most of them are a bit surprised, and even pleased, with what’s on the page. But we work hard to create an environment of free and unfiltered self expression in the class. I encourage them not to question themselves in their paint choices, word choices, image choices. Why is this important? Because, when we open ourselves up to true expression, we will find that our hearts speak louder than a whisper. They speak clearly. We just need to give them a place to speak. And when we really stop and listen, we will hear things that our souls have been trying to say for so long. We will know ourselves more deeply than before, and we’ll do a much better job of following and caring for our own souls.
