Art Journaling

I greatly admire art journaling and I repeatedly fail in my attempts.  I have the journal part down and the art part down, but when I try to put them together I fail.  I think it’s a layering issue.  I also think that I make them too sketchbooky (new word), more of just an idea and how to execute it instead of thoughts and feeling too. 

See, sketchbooky.  The left one is my sketchbook, the middle is the beginning of a collage style book for Halloween stuff, and the one on the bottom is some more just straight up sketchbook stuff, I definitely need layers!

I have a nice collection of books on the subject and I just bought another one last night, it was to visually inspiring to leave at the store.There are a lot of repetitive techniques in all of these books (packing tape transfers, watercolor washes, printing bubble wrap), but this one did have some good new ideas (a calendar and great prompt suggestions) and I really enjoy the artistic style of the journal pages in this book.  Maybe I should just work through it page by page making samples of all the techniques and see if that gives me the look I want.

I also really admire the ability of some artists to share their journal pages, it makes me wonder if they share it all or just the pretty, nice, happy, positive stuff.  I write about a lot of private things and I don’t think that I want to share all that (journaling is my therapy).  I want to get all of those feelings out on paper, but I don’t think everyone needs to read it.  What do you guys think? keep it private, share it all, or share some blurring out the private?  And if you art journal, who do you find inspiring?

Have a super crafty weekend!