My ‘Journaling’ Challenge is Complete

Inspired by the aspen trees at Zapata, near Sand Dunes National Park

Back in September – on my birthday, which is 9/9 – I created a wee journaling challenge for myself. I did not want to fail, so I did not challenge myself to a page a day or anything with horrendous deadlines. It was on the very low key, and I didn’t even mention it here until November.

My challenge, based on my birthday date and love of the number nine, was simply:

How many days will it take me
to create 99 journal pages?

No deadlines. No pressure. No rules.

Andikra symbols of the Akan people of Ghana; A study for use in my piece for the upcoming Salida Library “Lettering Unfettered” Art Show

I am happy to report that I’ve made it!
As of March 3o – which was 203 days – I had created 103 visual/art journal pages.
That is about a page every two days!

That may not sound like many to some of you out there, but I know this challenge pushed me to create more than I may have otherwise (although I admit to not thinking about the challenge too much in the last few hundred days). And  the thing is – I’m loving journaling even more now than ever!

Some of my pages feel more finished than others – I wondered if I should count them if I may go back and add more later. Does that count, I pondered? Since I really didn’t have any rules for this challenge, I decided that it does.

A Yoga Nidra Principle – from a recent workshop I took; this page may need something more on it, but I love the starkness around the mandala.

Colored pencils and lettering are a big part of what I use to create many of my journal pages. I love the ease and convenience of colored pencils, and my love of letters can practically go without saying. That being said, I have been trying to branch out in ‘the media’ I use – and I’m also trying to incorporate some sketching into my pages. I would love to improve my drawing skills, and I always feel resistance when I think of drawing.

Navajo Seed Pt drawn with watercolor pencils

Watercolors drawn with regular old colored pencils.

The bottom line for me is that I love playing in my journal.

It is one of my therapeutic self-care practices.

I usually show up with no plans – and I always have fun. It gives me the opportunity to play with all sorts of media. I can take my journal anywhere (and I pretty much take it everywhere). And even though I do share – my journal can be as private as I want and need it to be.  I can experiment with whatever techniques and media I want, and if something doesn’t turn out, no one needs to know.

Again – no rules and no pressure. That is what keeps journaling fun and therapeutic.

I hope that the diversity of my pages encourages you to see that anything goes. And if you have an inkling, grab your journal and play.

I don’t have an organized spot for journal page images, but if you want to check out the other posts on my ‘journaling challenge’ you’ll find some other pages I’ve created – click here and here.

Happy Journaling!

xox,
Lisa, aka the mountain mermaid

P.S. I make the journals that I work in – and have plans to begin selling them again (big step putting this statement out there), so if you’re looking for a workhorse of a journal – they’ve been described as rustic elegance – please let me know and I’ll keep you posted on their arrival.