Art Journaling - Get Creative Everyday

I am mom to 3 kids, wife to DH, care-taker of a fur-ball, 2 frogs and a beta, full-time employee in a government office: I don't have a lot of free time. So how in the world, you ask, can I possibly commit to getting creative EVERYDAY in 2011????

The short answer is: I'm nuts.

The long answer is: I have gone temporarily insane and will regain sanity sometime during the first thaw in the spring.

I desperately need an outlet. So, I create things. I love getting immersed in a project. Because of the life I lead, I am not able to create everyday. Well, I used to think that I couldn't create everyday. Lately, I have been thinking differently. I am thinking that I cannot afford to NOT create a little bit everyday.

Which brings me to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and her blog Balzer Designs. She is a very talented and motivated artist who is going to Art Journal Every Day in 2011. She is hoping that artists will play along with her.

Here is an excerpt from her post: 

I'm hoping that we can form a little bit of a community and support each other. Because it's hard to do it alone.

Here are the basic parameters:

•You need a notebook of some kind. ◦I like to use a watercolor paper notebook because I use a lot of paint. But you can get started using a simple composition notebook too! ◦If you've never art journaled before, check out the awesome (and informative) posts, tutorials, and ideas from Art Journaling Week!

•You need somewhere you can leave your journal and some supplies out.

• ◦This can be a dedicated desk or table.
• ◦This can be a cookie sheet that you can stick under the bed or couch.
• ◦Just some small space that allows you to spend 10 minutes working on your art journal, not 10 minutes finding supplies.

•You don't have to commit for the whole year. 365 days is a huge scary number! Try it for a month and see if you like it. 30 days of art journaling every day is pretty darn awesome! Wouldn't that be a great accomplishment?

You can read more about this journey on her blog HERE.

What attracted me to join her is her positive, no pressure approach. I will do my best to create something everyday. Put something down in whatever journal I pick for 2011. I haven't decided on one yet. I may use one that I have already started. I won't feel pressured to complete a page everyday or even every week. I'll just put something in it everyday. It'll be something about my life that day.

Check it out. You might just be inspired to join the community.
I have been attempting an art journal, but without passion. It just hasn't felt right. I think it's because I was trying too hard to MAKE it work. I think part of it was also that I felt the engineer in me trying to make things match. (Same supplies, same format) I think the secret, for me, will be to just let it happen. We'll see?!?!?!?!?