The Right Questions, and More Stencil Play Journal

Mother's Day weekend I was blessed to spend the weekend with my husband and daughter and son-in-law at one of the most beautiful places on earth, just about an hour from our home: Cannon Beach. 

The first night, during a long walk on the beach, my daughter and I were talking. She, often wise beyond her years, had some observations and asked me some great questions. It was a catalyst for the shift I needed. The questions are these:

What are the most positive experiences you've participated in and contributed to?

In the art related field, I could remember my 10 years of teaching high school and Jr. High students Art. In the past few years, the art journaling workshops have been wonderful. This past year, the best yet. 

Then she asked what are your strengths? Core values? Then: Where's the fruit? God's favor? Okay, I was starting to get it. My mind shifted from the negative to positive possibilities. Those questions made me think of answers: teaching people, making journals, finding new possibilities for classes and ways of painting, connecting with people as a guest artist, and yes, blogging.

For me, personal relationships are what are the most important. I came away from the restful, blessed weekend with a firmer resolve that I need to pursue life according to my values. A good reminder.

If you would like to join me for an Art Journaling adventure June 28, 29 2013,
click on the following link on my website to find out how. There are just have two openings left!
We're going to have so much fun playing with paint together and cultivating our imaginations!

http://valeriesjodin.com/workshops-2/

An Unexpected Journal: Stencil Play

I needed a break - to play again. It came to me like a gift in an unexpected way, from my open studio workshop earlier this month. 

Last year I tried a new thing, thanks to the suggestions of lovely participants in my workshops. From January to June I offered an open studio workshop once a month to those people who have taken my workshops, for a flat fee. I would have the studio ready for creative play and be available to help, with no lesson planned. People took me up on it, and now we are reaching close to the end of that experiment. It's been so great! My creative friends came with whatever they wanted to work on. The creative atmosphere has been amazing. Usually people work on their own thing as we encourage one another and get ideas. Toward the end of this last session, Rosana got us playing with stencils. She goes after art journaling and painting with wild abandon. Being a planner, I am often mesmerized by her unabashed boldness as she forges ahead without a plan. Mostly I watched, but I did have this extra journal I had sewn together for a video, so why not? I jumped in. And after everyone was long gone, I still was at it, getting lost in the thing I needed most: PLAY. 

My husband was away for the weekend, at a men's retreat. When he got home, he shared with me his big "take-away" from the weekend:

 "It's not about overworking, it's about living in the overflow 

of God's Spirit." 

- Phil Strout, Head of the Vineyard Movement

I was overworking and not "living in the overflow." I added more to my play journal, and began to revive. What it also renewed in me is even more enthusiasm for my upcoming June Art Journaling Workshop, and the creative energy and fun that it fosters. I have a few spots left. For more information and registration, click on the link:

http://valeriesjodin.com/workshops-2/

Sometimes things don't go as planned…

If you've seen my recent how-to video or visited my website, you read or heard that I would have an online mini workshop to sign up for in May. It's been a real time of growing for me, both the good parts and the hard parts. Developing an online course has been challenging. I am so enthusiastic about the content and teaching, but the technical parts are new to me. There have been  more obstacles and roadblocks than I anticipated, both common and uncommon. At the moment I am at the end of myself in regards to the project and need to step back. It's hard for me because I said I would have it ready in May and I won't, even though the content is there. Admittedly, I am disappointed and I don't want to disappoint other people. I haven't given up hope for it, but it will likely look different than I thought. I'm okay with that (with some grieving). I am taking the the rest of the week off from the web world to restore and refuel. It is a good thing to know my value does not rest in what I accomplish, but in God who made me. So I release my hopes and dreams, my heart to the God who sees and loves me.

Sunday I visited Rock Creek Church and joined their worship. It was an incredible blessing to be able to paint in worship. Pastors James and Lisa said the theme was Freedom and Presence. Over a year ago, in one of my art journals, I painted a process of freedom through the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. It seemed like just the right time to paint it. Below is the same painting at two different stages. The first one I painted ahead of time in my studio. I wanted to express the heart of a person, captive, but surrendered, unable to free itself. Then as God, the Holy Spirit comes, the person is set free, with a heart able to soar like a bird freed from the cage, confident in the Presence of God.

Freedom in Presence Preliminary©Valerie Sjodin 2013

Freedom in Presence©Valerie Sjodin

"Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

"Praise the Lord!

I have escaped like a bird.

The cage is opened

and I have been set free,

free to fly.

My deliverer is the Lord,

maker of heaven and earth."

-my hopeful proclamation based on Psalm 124:6-8

The Benefits of Art Journaling… or Why I Art Journal

Why Art Journal? Why do you art journal?  I've been asked that quite a bit.
So, I've done it, and uploaded my first YouTube video with me talking face to face with the viewer through the camera. In this little video, I share the benefits of art journaling through my personal story. I did it because I think sometimes we feel we need to justify taking the time for creative ventures. Often it's so much more than that...

Find out more by visiting my website: www.valeriesjodin.com

NOTE: A day after posting the video above, I read an article written by Taylor Smith from the Hillsboro Oregonian, Argus Newspaper, who interviewed me a few days after I filmed the above video. It's interesting how things go sometimes. She asked some of the same questions I address in the video, but through her own unique lens and language. You can read her article:

http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro

Trust God and Move Forward Doodle

This page pretty much sums it up for me right now:

A page from my moleskine journal 

All of "An A to Z of Me" Moleskine Journal Pages

I received a question about pens bleeding through the moleskine pages. I found that many pens, especially colored, bleed through. There are likely many that don't, but the pens I'm using on these pages that have very little bleed through are Pitt Faber Castell "S" superfine size tip and Prismacolor colored pencils. Here are my pages A to Z from the A to Z of Me Journal Challenge:

 

X-Y-Z Moleskine Journal Pages

The last three letters of the alphabet; I made it! The A to Z of Me Journal Challenge finished!

X  Marks the Spot

Y - Yes. I am going to write a vivid dream I had over the words "Yes Jesus" since that was a key part of the dream

Z - Zeal

U-V-W Moleskine Journal Pages

U-unique: Be uniquely, beautifully You!

V-vision: "Be Thou my Vision O Lord of my Heart..."

W-words are powerful

T-Try! Trust! Learn! Persevere!

This journal page represents my current state: trying, learning, persevering, not giving up, things I am to learn and grow in right now. A time of personal growth. It's challenging, and I feel pushed to capacity, asking God for more and struggling to have faith as I take the next baby step. Pressing on. One quote I didn't have room for on my page is from Randy Pausch's Last Lecture:

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” 
― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

I didn't use the prompts for the "Try" page given in the journaling challenge, but sought out quotes and verses I need to hear and see right now. People journal for many reasons. One reason I journal is to gain courage by focusing on positive truth, putting it into visual form. Also, I'm trying to laugh, or at least smile at myself in the midst of life as I face my insecurities and work to stretch my limits of what I thought i could do.

As far as this "An A to Z of me journal" goes, I don't like unfinished projects, so I am slogging through the last letters of the alphabet when the group has already moved on. In the persevering, am finding solace in the encouraging words as I search for quotes about words such as "Try" and "Vision". Something to be thankful for. Also, the process of art journaling, doodling, and finding creative ways to express letters and words, are all therapeutic for me. I think a journal is a type of witness to our lives, recording expressions of the heart.

Thank you for visiting and reading this today. I hope you are blessed this day with encouragement and hope!

Q-R-S in Moleskine Journal Pages

These three words go together for me: Quality, Responsibilities, and Self-Image in the An A to Z of Me Art Journaling Challenge. In the self-image pages, Denis Waitley's quote  reminded of what I did in 2010 to change my self-talk. I listened to The Shalom Prayer every day for at least 60 days. It is a beautiful prayer based on Psalm 139, and states what I believe, but didn't feel at the time. God used it to upgrade my thinking. When I was younger, I went for years hating myself. Part of the prayer says, because God's love for me is so great, I too must love myself. It takes the focus off of me and on God and how He sees and values me. Here is a link to the printed version online, or you can order the audio version: www.maranathacommunity.org.uk/shalom.aspx

Q - Qualities

Abba's Love Weekend Journal

For this journal, I returned to my original favorite palette when introduced to Golden Fluid Acrylics, Pthalo Turquoise, Quinacridone Crimson, and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold. Then I added Gold metallic and a bit of Permanent Violet Dark. My friend, Kim, had given me some paper from Florence Italy, one of my favorite places, and it seemed to want to be included in this journal.

It was a joy to go through the process of journal making in the Art Journaling Weekend Workshop. Because this workshop was for a specific group of people, it was a bit different, catering to the dynamic of group. It focused on our relationship with God and the relationships the women have with one another being "Abba's Girls." I had a blast! It reminded me of how blessed I am and loved by my Father God.

Another Art Journaling workshop is scheduled for June 28, 29. I would love to have you join me.
You can find out more on my website: www.valeriesjodin.com