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Recently, I have been going to the Studio in the wee hours in the morning. While the tribe is still asleep but when I just toss and turn between the bed sheets. 
Usually, I kind of put the urge to go in there aside for different reasons (our bedroom is on the top floor of our home, the Studio is on the level floor, two stories below; afraid to wake everyone up etc. etc.). But during that Thanksgiving long weekend, waking up at the usual hour when there was no actual need to get up in a hurry.. I did listen to that Inner Voice telling me «it’s your time, go in the Studio and take this as a blessing». So I went, three days in a row, about 7:15am. Sometimes with one girl joining along, sometimes perfectly alone. It felt SO good…

I invite you to follow me on Instagram (now, you can even check my feed up on your computer, yay !). I share crumbs from the Teal Studio, short videos and more. I love sharing with you what #myVisualStory is about.

Art Journaling is a safe way to explore art, try out new supplies, let the emotions out and just play. It can be as superficial or as profound as you want it to.

Today, I am sharing with you, in video, what’s inside my big Dylusions art journal.

(Note: if you want, I can whip up a clickable list of the supplies I remember having used in this journal)

Here is, first of all, the video. Then come back to read what I have to share 😉

This journal is huge, honestly. It would have filled faster if I had commited to it on a daily basis; however I did not want to put more pressure than I could take.

Thank to this journal though, I redifined what art journaling meant to me and my entire process shifted. So yes, most of you may have thought several time something like «what the hell ? this page is not complete. at all !». Well, here are a few thoughts I thought could be interesting to share with you:

What I learned through Art Journaling

(in the past 2½ years)

It’s okay not to finish a page or a spread in one sitting

This was new to me… I used to not even understand how other art journalers could think of not finishing a page in the same session it started. Or how it was possible to have so many backgrounds ready but nothing done. Now… I get it.

Stencils and sprays (inks or paints) are my go-to supplies when it comes to art journaling. I love them and use them on almost every page, in one way are another. My art journal is also where I «clean» my stencils because every drop of spray is precious and it is so cool to see what it can create. Leftovers lover, I am ! but then, it will be the beginning of a page and I will leave it like this until I am ready to go further. You can see in the video that sometimes, I love the result of these leftovers so much that I called it done and left it like this because to me, there is shapes and colors and feelings created that are enough to feel complete.

There is not always need for a character to appear

I love seeing characters emerging from my backgrounds, whether in my paintings or in my journals. There is something truly magical about witnessing them coming to me and then bringing them to life. However, colors + words is a good combo too. Even just colors and texture.

It is not because it is what we see the most, it is not because it is the current trend, that you are forced to follow the pack. And if you do follow, it is totally fine as well. [Tweet “Your journal, your safe space, your own rules.”] As long as you are happy with your own process, just go with your flow !

There is no other rule than the ones you give yourself

No rules. Good, right ? I wish it would have taken me less time to enjoy that fully without beating myself up for not doing this or doing that. It should look this way, no I can not do that. B***S*** ! I hope you know by now that you are the rule maker in your art, whatever the form you play in is. So you can change them or even erase them.

My own rules has changed over the years 😉

Be gentle wiith yourself.

I do not have to share everything that happens between the covers

Yup. As much as I love sharing my process and snippets with you guys, I had to make piace with the fact that some days, I just like to keep it to myself.

Too raw at heart. too personal. too afraid of being judged, too, to be honest (not about the artistic part of the page necessarily but about the emotions that needed to get out, the words that may appear and misunderstood…). We all tend to interprete what we see, I guess it is normal. And this is why, if you follow me on social media, you sometimes see just a piece of a page and not all of it 😉 (and because I sometimes am such a tease, too ! ahah).

So don’t feel bad if you do not want to share, there is nothing wrong with that.

I decided, at last minute, to jump and sign up for Hannah Marcotti’s online class called Community Grace. See, I have been following Hannah and her work for a while and she whispers to my Soul and amazes me at several levels. I even told her I wanted to be her BFF ahah *oh yes I did say that*. A Sister told me praises about it and that she was already signed up. A familiar faces. An unexpected «I love her too» and that was it.

In the prompt #3, Hannah invited us to gather words said to us in our already existing community. By our friends, our lovers, our family… whoever. And to focus on them. To let them sink in. Their meaning. Their beauty.

I wanted to share some of them with you today.

She said, we’re in this together.

He said, you are stronger than you think.

They said, Aho.

He said, thank you for being a wonderful friend.

She said, I see you.

She said, you are not a monster.

She said, you need a break; come here, my door is wide open.

She said, and baby girl you shine.

She said, I love your hair.

She said, you’re beautiful.

She said, you are one special Sister.

She said, you are the best mama a girl can have.

She said, yes of course you love them.

She said, there are no coincidence.

She said, we’re Old Souls.

She said, prepare to Rock & Shine !

She said, i thought i would just tell you how much your color shines my days up and our lands.

She said, You are awesome. You are interesting. You are smart. You are beautiful! oh yeah, and you are magic !

Welcome on a new edition of my weekly ritual, Gratitude Friday (if you are not familiar with it, please go read how it came up and what it is about).

It’s Friday *dancing around* ! I hope your week was sweet like honey, spicy like cinnamon and tangy like fresh lemon.

Rough at heart, rough in my heart , it put me deep in the Dark. But let not focus on that but on the positive side of it. Because there is always a light shining somewhere within all of it. always.

This week, I am thankful for:

• Community Grace
• Magical Sabbatical
• Sisterhood
• Grimm, Parenthood, Brothers & Sisters, Gilmore Girls, Finding Carter
• The people signing up for Soul Deck.
• Songs
• My sketchbook, allowing me to let it out and process
• Tears
• New doors to open
• Soul work
• My diary
• Morning walks

I am praying that it will get easier and smoother. Sooner than later. And if life is hard on your, if you feel more emotional than usual, know you are not alone. You.Are.Not.Alone. Please reach out. Don’t be afraid to say «I need help». Especially in this season.