5 reasons how Art journaling helps how you REALLY feel!

Emotions and feelings can influence our thoughts and we often work hard to avoid negative emotions and even harder to feel the good ones! We like the feelings of happiness, being loved etc but there are times in our lives when don’t want to feel anything at all.

Currently, the school of thought is we have six basic states of emotions.:
anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise the second tier of emotions is an endless list!

Our Feelings originate in the neocortical regions of the brain and are associations and reactions to our emotions. What we feel is influenced by our personal experience, beliefs, and what our memories recall.  

After having an emotion we feel, feelings involve the subconscious and cant be be measured precisely, but lets face it we all know when we are happy or sad but what happens when we need to delve a little deeper?

Feelings influence our actions and we can have feelings/emotions that stay with us into adulthood and act as motivations for our future behaviours. Our lives roll on into adulthood where sometimes getting to grips with how we really feeling can get very confusing. Thats why Art journaling is such a friendly tool to process these feelings.

1. Hush that inner Critic

Are you aware of how you really talk to yourself? Cruel comments and negative inner chat can give you a hard time and leave you feeling down and depleted. This is a great time to turn to art journaling to calm that negative inner chatter.

 2. Subconscious messages

Art Journaling helps you connect to your emotions. When we don’t feel great or something is bringing us down but we cant connect to what’s going on then tuning into your private pages can give you answers. The process of choosing words or images and letting our instincts be drawn to visual stimuli is a really powerful tool which can bring out or help with a creative block or emotions.

 3. Your journal is a safe space

Some people have never experienced a safe space to express their feelings and unhealthy ‘stuff’ can be kept locked in their own headspace. When I found art journaling I couldn’t believe how good it felt to have somewhere to get out how I REALLY felt. Free flow writing was like magic writing for me, where I allowed myself to let go and words came pouring out onto the page. If I wanted to make it private I just painted over it or sometimes I allowed the odd word to shine through my paint marks.

4. Better out than in

Letting it out can bring messages and help you feel less alone.  I really started art journaling in earnest when I felt very isolated living in the French Alps. When I was journaling I forgot everything and in a meditative practice I just enjoyed the moment of making.

 5.  Be true to yourself

Listen to how you are feeling with acceptance. You are not making a pretty picture to sell, your journal is a work in progress like you! You can journal your life’s experiences, the highs, the lows, the progress all in your very own beautiful safe space.and enjoy the outcome.

If you want to dip your toe the next art journalling workshop with availability is on Saturday 16 March in Winchester Discovery Centre, Room 2.

Its a TASTER morning so great for beginners and people who have never done anything creative before. ART FOR ALL!

www.coreartjournaing.com