why you should be using an artist inspiration journal
Artists have kept some form of a journal for as long as they have been creating art. Journals help artists sort through all their ideas and get specific about the subjects, styles, techniques, etc., that they are interested in developing or simply for visual inspiration. I want to share one of my best-kept secrets for helping develop my artistic voice, an artist inspiration journal.
What is an inspiration journal? First, it's different than a sketchbook; at least it is for me. My art inspiration journals art full of drawings, clippings, magazine cut-outs, almost anything that I can get my hands on that inspires me to push my skills in exciting directions. There are many reasons why I love using inspiration journals, but a few of my favorites are color insight, texture exploration, and mark-making influences. At its core, an artist inspiration journal is simply a scrapbook of clippings that spark me in some way.
COLOR INSIGHTS
When I create my inspiration journals, I try to free myself to include anything that makes me curious. Color combinations are often my go-to exploration. Clipping from magazines or printing inspiration from Pinterest to add to my journal often spark many unique combinations far outside my comfort zone. I usually use these clippings to test my color mixing abilities and create palette samples that I want to use in future work. In the photo above, you can see how my paintings mimic the grungy, paint-peeling wall from my inspiration journal. That scraping back is a technique I use in almost every painting.
TEXTURE EXPLORATION
I like to explore( I could spend hours experimenting) the most is texture. Therefore, my journals often include visual and physical texture examples that inspire me and textures I want to replicate in my paintings and collage work.
In the small photos gallery below, you can see I have clipped many pages of texture, color, and typography. I often include interesting photography because taking photos is a part of my process and can be the beginning inspiration for a collection or new painting series.
MARK-MAKING INFLUENCES
The last element that I am most inspired by searching for inspiration for my journals is the element of line—specifically, lines created through mark-making. I find infinite mark-making ideas from clipping pages from fashion, graphic art, crafting magazines. I am an analog-style artist. I like the physical process of collecting paper pieces and photographs into an actual book. It is similar to journaling by hand vs. using your phone or computer. Many studies have shown the cognitive benefits of writing things out by hand. As an artist who has developed a practice, I feel like there are similar artistic benefits to creating books of physical inspiration. Much like collections of physical sketchbooks, you can see the physical evolution of your voice.
Artist inspiration journals are an under-appreciated form of processing ideas and techniques preferences. Using a journal helps you create a visual language for your work—producing a system to develop your visual vocabulary.
These journals have been an invaluable step in my process. I have been able to identify the aspects of my work that I want to concentrate more attention on and use as an easy reference. For example, I keep these journals in my studio, and I can quickly flip through to find mark-making inspiration and use these clippings as a jumping-off point for my exploration. In addition, having a small library of journals to reference helps me free up some creative space. I don't worry about remembering something I saw that I would like to explore; I have it in a book.
