Art Journaling can take a variety of forms.
It’s time to start a new year, and you know what that means? Resolutions. Every year, we look ahead to the New Year and think about how we can make it better, healthier and happier. Some vow to give up sugar or wine, to exercise more often, or to practice better self-care. But showing ourselves a little love can be one of the hardest things in the world. The Arts Depot understands, and they’re offering a free Art Journaling Workshop once a month during 2023.
Once a month, beginning Saturday, Jan. 14 from 1-3 p.m. Arts Depot Resident Artist Carina Karlsson facilitates a creative, informal art journaling workshop. Art Journaling is a way of creating a visual diary that expresses thoughts or ideas, explores emotions or represents a memory. It’s a pretty simple concept that involves a book; i.e., sketchbook, composition notebook, that handful of fast-food napkins you’ve collected, or whatever you’d like.
The only requirement is to come ready to express yourself and according to Karlsson, “Put a little mileage on the pencil to help build your artistic muscle.” Karlsson, who has been art journaling for more than 20 years, says that creating this opportunity has been on her mind since joining the community at The Arts Depot. “There is a certain meditative quality in journaling – even when you’re doing it in a room with others. It’s a lot like the quilting bees of days gone by, where you have a chance to gather with others and be creative and social.” Karlsson, who has been involved with several art journaling collaboratives, has had her art journaling work featured in a couple of different publications, including “Collaborative Art Journals,” by L.K. Ludwig.
The type of art journal you create is limited only to your imagination. “You can make an art journal in the form of a recipe book or travel journal or collect quotes and ideas that inspire you. While you can certainly do all that on your own, we all know how much more likely we are to keep a resolution when we do it with a friend. You’ll want to bring a notebook or paper of your choice, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, buttons, photos, bits of thread or scraps of materials – whatever you’d like to get you started on your journey with creativity. RSVP via email to info@abingdonartsdepot.org or via telephone at 276-628-9091.
