ARTFUL WRITING: 12 Easy Ways to T-ART Up Your Boring Writing Pages

You don't have to have pages and pages of just writing in your journals.  Why should you?  I can't tell you how many years and journals I have filled with page after page of just plain old boring writing. And I love to write, but looking back, why didn't it ever occur to me to make those pages pretty?

After I started on my journey of mixed media and art journals a few years ago, I started applying some of this knowledge, in a more stripped-down kind of way, to my writing journals, just so they wouldn't be so boring.  Sure, many of us have and use our art journals for "some" journaling, but in a different way. I think our art journals are more "art" oriented, and less about the actual journaling of life's daily events, memories, self-truths and exploration.  I journal for these latter reasons, and I art journal for these same reasons, but in a far more visual and exploratory way.

So today, I wanted to give you all some tips and ideas of how you can tart up your writing journals to keep you interested in journaling every-single-day, and of course make them visually pleasing for you to go back through, next week or even next year.

1.  Use basic supplies like colored inks, pens, markers to create borders on your pages.  These pages I just used two different colors of markers, one with a solid line, one with squiggles; and I added some doodly lettering on Leap Day.

2.  Perhaps add decorative scrap papers around the edges.  On this page, this fancy border was around a picture I had cut out to use on another project. It was too pretty to throw out, and it was just laying on my desk.  This particular day I also used water soluble crayon (NeoColors) to create a quick colored border to go with the paper.

3.  How about adding some doodled or tangled borders?  Change the color of your ink.

You can change the whole look of your day just by changing the color of ink you are writing with.  Adding doodled or tangled borders makes the page have a ton more interest, and will help you with your tangle practice, too!











4.  ADD MAGAZINE IMAGE(S) or FOUND WORDS you clipped and saved in that big pile you are "saving" for your art journals but aren't using.  Pick one to go with your "color theme" of the day. In this example, I did both.  This particular page precedes my actual "journaling" and combines numerous other elements, including a journaling card, doodles, a border, a quote, etc.










5.  WASHI TAPE.  You can use it quick and easy, down and dirty.  Tart up some pages while you're watching television.  Grab a few rolls and a pair of scissors.  Presto -- gorgeous!  This page uses skinny tape everywhere. I made a header at the top, down both sides, and across the bottom of the left page.  Note also the doodles, magazine images, use of colored pencils.  These type pages precede my actual journaling pages and often depict things I did during the day or want to record that day.  My days aren't very exciting so I can go a little bit crazy with the tarting up.


6.  ADD A FAVORITE QUOTE.  We all love quotes. We collect quotes.  Record them in your journal. Use a highlighter to make them stand out, or color them up!

7.  RECORD YOUR DAY'S APPOINTMENTS & ACTIVITIES using figural images (stick figures) or doodly images.  Representing your day in an ARTFUL way, might relieve some of the pressure some of you feel about "writing."  I usually make a block on my first page of my "to-do" items. Better than expressing it in a boring way, right?   Yes, I know some of us only  having mundane things to do like cleaning, laundry, taking care of the kids or grandkids.  But wouldn't a cute little sketch of a laundry basket look a lot more fun?  And, you are representing YOUR day, your activities in addition to all that soul searching and deep thinking.  You can find a ton of representational images on Pinterest using the search words: planner icons, stick figures, etc.

8.  SLAP SOME PAINT ON IT.  I have added paint to quite a few of my journaling pages, well, because I could, and I just wanted to do so.  I am currently writing in a Miguel Ruis medium graph journal right now, and the paper is fairly thin, so I have glued 2 pages together on most days just to support whatever I decide to throw at my journal.  Mind you, this is NOT my art journal.  This is my writing journal and also planner that i am doing in the Hobonichi style.  This particular page, I used Dylusions Acrylic and babywipes and had just gotten started working on it when I took this pic, so it was still a work in progress.  The writing surface was super smooth and I have prepped quite a few more for the days ahead.  Note this page also has washi tape, doodled borders and a magazine image on it already. Late night fun for me. LOL.  And here is the finished page.      


9.  ADD COLORFUL STICKERS

I don't add too many stickers to my journaling pages, although I have quite a stash of them.  Not sure why I don't.  Think about stickers that represent what you did that day, what you saw.  Use alpha stickers to add the date and day.  Go ahead, stick on those cute butterfly stickers you've been saving and saving.  Now is a good time! There are lots of options with so many variety of stickers available today.  I think I don't add them because I am really trying to work on my own drawing skills. Yes, that must be it.  But I get lazy, too, so I might start adding more.

10.  USE DECORATIVE RIBBONS, BRADS & OTHER EMPHEMERA.  Just the other day I added some decorative ribbon tape to my journal.  The texture of it was very nice.  I just ran it down both the far left and right margins of my writing pages.  Boom!  Color!

11.  ADD A COLORING PAGE (or part of one).  In this example, I cut up a page out of my "Color Me Calm" coloring book.  It was a mandala that I cut in half.  Half on the preceding planner part of my journal and half on my journaling pages. Big splash of color and it really works and was easy as pie.  (After it was colored, of course).  Going to do some more of these in this journal.  I enjoyed writing around all the work I had spent a few evenings coloring.  A fun way to enjoy it all again.

12.  USE THOSE RUBBER STAMPS!  Okay, I know you  have a big stash of rubber stamps just waiting on a reason to be used.  Add a super cutie to one of your writing pages.  Give it a quick color in with some colored pencils.  Voila!  I went crazy on this planner page part of my journal when that big blizzard hit the northeast.  The snowman, snowflakes, the banner.  I thought it turned out pretty cute considering I did absolutely nothing that day but stay in the house, hiding under my favorite quilt.

So there you go.  Twelve ways you can spice up your writing journals.  You can add visual interest that pleases you. You can do all of these things while you are being a slug on sofa. No big artistic skills required.  And if you are really organized, you can get several days to a week or more done ahead and ready to write (doodle, draw, stamp, color, collage, glue) your hearts out.  I know you guys are all uber-creative and can come up with dozens of more creative ways to make your journaling pages pretty and less boring!

As always, we're keeping it artful, and hope you are too.  Enjoy your journals!

ARTFUL CHICKS
~~Betty aka Arty Auntie

Melody, Lynn and Shana

POP-UP ART CHALLENGE #9 - Writing Prompt

January has just flown by for me -- how about you?  While infusing my coffee this morning in the recliner trying to get the fog out of my brain, I picked up my pocket journal (which lives beside my chair when not in my purse) and I began to think about this month.  It is the last day of the month. Wow.   A lot has gone on in my world this month and probably the same at your house.  Christmas decorations have been taken down, for most of you, your house is probably back in order (not me, yet) and we're plugging away at a whole new year.

Today, I want you to spend no more than 1 hour creating a journal page (full page, half page, pocket journal, etc) writing about your month.
Hit the highlights.  Tell a funny story that happened. Document what went on in your world this month.  Was there a new baby in the family? A sad passing of a family member?  Joyful news on the work front?  Something you were especially grateful for that happened?  Hopes and expectations that were or were not met?  Use bullet points if you want, or write in flowy words and and sentences, but WRITE!

This prompt is more about the writing experience as opposed to the art created.

WRITING (and more specifically PRINTING) in your journal helps you explore you and your world. It also will help serve to improve your overall penmanship and writing and lettering skills.

I often keep my pocket journal on the side table next to my chair in the living room with a Micron Pen, a fat and fine line Sharpie marker and my little zippered pouch of Prismacolor pencils.  My pocket calendar can hold up to watercolor fairly well, but a heavy Sharpie will bleed through without a little gesso, which is never right there, and so I resort to those pencils more times than not because they are handy, they don't bleed through, and I just like playing with them!  This page was no exception.  Once I started writing, events of the month just kept coming, so that part was easy.  It took me longer to tart up the page than it did to write about the month.

So journal your month with your own hand.  Then tart it up if you want to.  As you can see, I didn't do too much artwork, but I did do a little fancy lettering and added some interest on the page.  It turned out just fine for what it was meant to be.  I added a little quote to remind me how to keep my stress levels under control........ "love is patient, love is kind" ...

Have fun with it, and show us what you come up with on the group feed over at Artful Journeys. I promise we won't be sneaking any peeks at your personal words.


~~Betty aka Arty Auntie