Journaling with Lisa Sonora

I am a huge fan of Lisa Sonora and her work. Picking up her book The Creative Entrepreneur changed my life. It was the first time I understood that I could turn what I loved doing into a sustainable way of life. What a journey I have been on since then! 

And speaking of journeys, each year Lisa also generously creates a set of journaling prompts which she shares for free! This is my 4th year working with them, and every year my experience gets richer! This year I am a bit behind as our youngest has been receiving treatment at the Cleveland Clinic and life has been a bit chaotic, but I have been working on the prompts in the hotel. Here’s a glimpse at my journey so far this year, once again I decided to use my page meditation method to work through my ideas.

I have a lot coming up in the next month, so I am looking forward to a week at home getting caught up with housework and grading for my students, and a little studio time too I hope! 

I’m planning to scan some of these and put them in my redbubble portfolio if anyone is interested in prints. And if you want to join the thousands who are journaling with Lisa Sonora you can find more about the project here.

A rather late new year.

This year I am beginning my year the same way I have started the last two years with the great blog prompts from Lisa Sonora. It’s been a very slow start as I have had the flu and then bronchitis and I am still getting caught up.
In past years I have used an old book as the foundation for my journal, but the book I thought I might use this year was  just not the right size or scale or something, it didn’t feel right. Instead I decided to use random formats of watercolor paper as a basis for my journaling.
Working on individual sheets has been a different experience. I started out with 30 randomly sized pieces of watercolor paper. Next I added a layer of collage. I pushed myself to work with brighter colors than I would usually use. It was a good game plan, but after I added additional layers of paint, printing and tissue, many of the pages ended up being in my happy beige range! A few brighter ones survived, but not many.
The final layer on each page was the stamped quote of the day, and I was able to use the reverse side to journal.

This weekend I bound together the finished pages. I’m still behind but I think I am going to use this technique for the rest of the year, maybe making monthly books.
I have a much less hectic teaching schedule this semester, so I am hoping to get better at guarding my studio time, and posting more regularly here.

So hopefully there will be more to come soon. Thanks for hanging with me!

What a GREAT day!

Today I was at a great symposium in Rochester – I met all kinds of amazing people and my little brain is all revved up with new schemes and possibilities. Then when I got home I discovered that one of my art idols – Lisa Sonora (creative genius behind the creative entrepreneur which CHANGED MY LIFE!) featured one of my journal pages on her blog. Yep – Life is good. Today was an EXCELLENT day to be an artist.

a few more pages

I swear I really am doing something other than journaling – but probably this is more fun than seeing more pictures of me sewing in circles! Here’s another batch of pages

I am really enjoying playing with different media and styles. Its fun!

skipping a few days

You will just have to take my word for it that I have been journalling everyday – as some of the prompts are bringing up things I am not ready to share. Today I can share though – so here it is

stagnation, boredom, security,

In other news – my office and studio have migrated to the dining room as it is SO FRIGID (-13) here today. I have been rewriting lectures and reading in my pajamas most of the day. My sewing machine is about to move in too so I can do some work on women’s work after dinner. I can’t believe that my break is almost over – I still have so much left I wanted to accomplish. Ah well.

I want to get back to work in the “studio” but before I go – please consider sponsoring this artist – Elena Thomas – part of the SCIBASE group I have recently been exhibiting in Europe with. They are coming here to do a show in April (yikes another project I need to work on) and to cover her costs she has come up with a way to combine the work with a sponsorship idea. Follow this link to find out how to help, and thanks!

a sample of the beauty you will be sponsoring!

Day 3.

Showing my hand, what do I want this year? A chance to teach more workshops, to make the money I need to find a better balance, to cultivate curators and collectors, to bloom, to thrive.

Day 2

Posting a partial page today. And also there was some sewing in circles going on too. What better way to spend a sub zero snowy day?