Tempted for a while I finally decided to create new series of inspirational clips devoted to looking what emotions and states of mind drive the process of art journaling. Those clips are much shorted than Subconscious Collage project and are meant to play a role of "inspiration injections". I am planning also to produce those more often and build new series. Here are some questions and answers that may explain more about this idea:

When my daughter is given a set of Lego there is a creative battle in the house. Her mother (me!) never wants to follow any instructions to build what is showed on the box...and Lego doll's hair may be replaced with horse's tail. People with that mindset are called in Lego movie "master builders" as they build from their imagination, heart and passion rather than instructions. Are you one of them? Visual art is watched outside but comes from inside. The process requires a journey from what is deeply rooted in imagination to what we can actually see- colours, shapes, lines, the whole visual aspect. Making art that becomes your healing process is really about what is going on in your mind rather than what comes out. If you treat your creative process as something personal and having impact on your mental state, then start the journey from that direct source- your mind. Become the master builder...

I am not a trendy "mixed media newest supply" person. I am too lazy to follow what is on the top of "must have art materials" and have a strange tendency to incorporate random objects in my art. If you take me for a nice town, city, beach or forest walk you will get disturbed by the fact that from time to time I need to bend and pick something up (and it's normally something that majority of people would bin). So yes, walking with me is a kind of "strange experience", however my daughter has got used to that. So why do I use "rubbish" in my art- for me it not rubbish- those finds are a mixture of symbolism, meaningful randomness and purposeful appearance. Let me take you for a walk of creative treasures...

Everyone was born with some sort of free spirit- something unique in their behaviour, personality, something specific just to that one person. There are as many styles of art journaling as people and as many expressions as life stories. Sometimes it takes years or decades to "return to yourself"- to awake that spark that has been sleeping or simply uncovered. That free spirit gets covered with lots of stuff and majority comes from others but also ourselves - believes and preconceptions. I have a privilege to meet some women who joined my project of art journaling and admitted they have not created for years, some of them just started digging into their subconscious mind of past and presence. Their free spirit simply awakes, forms and becomes alive. How is your free spirit doing?

Those who are familiar with my collaging technique for art journals know that I tend to browse through the magazines and let my intuition decide what to use for a journal in that moment. As I go through quite a lot of pages of different magazines I am constantly faced with many phrases that tell us what to do. "Must have", "Be this and that" Be like...", "You must", "Time to do...this and that" and my favourite "Don't miss out" (what if I actually want to miss out, hm?) It just makes me wonder how much of us is pre-planned, pre-designed by social demand and how much is left to our decision. I love freedom in many forms: from freedom of expression to freedom of choice. Creativity without freedom simply dies and it's a constant death in milliseconds... How much  freedom do you have left in your creative life?

I find it hard to believe that it is already Episode 4 of Subconscious Collage project! This time I am challenging our perception of Identity-the concept that we have a certain, solid identity  that goes with us to grave. Yes there are some core aspects of identity- we come from some places and cultures and that is definitely shaping the whole process. However naturally as humans we also grow and change, we start as children searching for answers and gradually find out through the course of life that some will never have answers.

March ARTstirrer is here- a little bit earlier this month due to trying to film next episode of Subconscious Collage before Easter break. Some green and spring images for you, humour and reflection on identity. Hope you enjoy!

Wishing you some fresh creative energy this week!

Honorata

You may look at some art work and "get it" or stare at hundreds other pictures and forget them next minute. Some visual content is just hitting our heart or simply not. They may be artists who paint one thing over and over for 20 years and never have enough, others are attached to colour, develop specific style. It is all about visual language- that language with no sound but stronger than a shout. Language that exists in you and maybe wants to scream- do you know how to find it?

If you have been creating art journals for a while you probably know by now that the most satisfying part of the process is working from your heart and using creative communication as a tool of expression. Visual journaling is far more than just creating "pretty pages". It has gone from that trend to "raw" journaling- pages are packed with intensity and deep thought. That intensity can also spread further into canvases, painted boards, altered objects, assemblage. Intensity is something that evokes mixed emotions very often. Why? Is it too much? Shall there be a limit or maybe art should stick to "pretty things"? Intensity is not controlled hence the reason for its low popularity? Either is creativity-flying far away from any form of control on crazy wings of freedom...

February issue of my ARTstirrer is ready! This time the glory of winter laziness, about the problem with the wings and journaling about your life story. This is my 4th issue of this collection of images, thoughts and inspirations. Hope you enjoy! You can always click on tag "Artstirrer" to see all issues.

Wishing you lots of creative daydreaming this week!

Honorata