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Blast From The Past

I am so excited that I am going to be conducting little mini "art therapy" sessions for a group of young ladies. This all came about because of my art workshops I am already doing for the general public. It is very hard to communicate how I feel about this. To sum it up.....I just feel that suddenly, everything I have been doing and going through with this art thing makes sense.

So, I decided, the best thing to do would be to start with a creative journaling class. I want to help these young ladies learn how to use creative journaling to express themselves, learn more about themselves and explore creativity as therapy. So, in preparation for that, I have been thinking alot about why creative journaling would be therapeutic. I need to do some research on that and would appreciate any feedback on this topic. I know it is therapeutic to me, but I can't seem to explain why.

I picked up a book today that really inspired me and I feel it will be quite useful and helpful in prep for this workshop. It is the second book by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino, two sisters who wrote/developed first "Visual Chronicles" then...the one I picked up today and left at a doctor's office and have to go and pick up tomorrow "Journal Revolution". Journal revolution revealed to me why it is therapeutic to journal and it gave me lots of great ideas. This is a great book and you need to get it if you love to journal in a creative way.


Anyway, this book made me want t0 dig through my old memoribilia. As soon as I got off from work, I went to my storage room where I keep all my old memory boxes full of all kinds of stuff from my past. That is when I found this....my Senior Memory book. You know, that little book you bought with your senior picture package. I found these entries and had to share them. It helps me to see that it is therapeutic to look back on journal entries from the past. I see things from 1983 that reflect the girl that I still am today. Do you see anything that reminds you of the me I am to you? I thought the reference to "colors" in the first photo/journal entry were interesting...." black and white", purple" Do you have something like this? I would love to see your highschool memoribillia. Do Share!

Comments

Hey girlie, I don't journal, just never consistant with it! But I know you love it, & I think for you its an expression of your inner self, thoughts, dreams, & what you want to accomplish. I think too it is a place that you can sketch & put plans into actions. Love ya, Renea
noodle and lou said…
Lesley I love this idea! I'm going to dig through my old highschool stuff and share!! Your favorites (and that fab hair!) took me straight back to the 80's...you are too cute! Have a great week...thanks for the inspiration!! xox..jenn
I'll have to pick up the book, Journal Revolution, it sounds just like the kind of book I need right now. I've been going through my old journal entries, trying to decide what to do with all of them. There are so many entries, so many wonderful memories, so many other kind of entires...it's a little history of my life as a teen and my life as a mother of 5 kids - I can't possibly "declutter" them, so back into the boxes they went and I'll be going back over them again soon. I'm trying to compile all my poetry items into one big book (lol) there are so many. Thanks for the write up.

Angelina
I heart journals!
too much!
they need their own house, LOL
I love that picture with the hair all fixed 80's
hugs!
Jo Anne O. said…
Lesley,

I have both of the books and find them amazingly helpful...they never cease to bring up new ideas just by flipping through them!

There is a book out there that I know about dealing with journaling as a healing source but I haven't really read through it, I have just seen it at the book stores. It is called
Visual Journaling: Going Deeper Than Words by Barbara Ganim
and there is also
Journalution: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams by Sandy Grason. Like I said, I haven't really looked extremely close and them but they might help?
Sandra Evertson said…
Love the photo!
Sandra Evertson
FAQ said…
thanks for all your kind comments. I got my Journal Revolution book from the doctors office and I'm soaking up everything I can. Thanks for the suggestions for other resources. Hugs to all.
Nonnafairy said…
Lesley, read Julia Cameron's book, "The Artist's Way," especially about the need for DAILY PAGES, and the unspoken truths you'll discover. You'll be in tears by the end of the first chapter, like she's written everything directly to you, Funky Art Queen. It will help you in your class, and be a verbal hug for all you're doing. ~DB
forcryeye said…
How sweet of you to share this with us! I will have to go and dig through some of my stuff. I have been journaling since I was a child. My Mom always told me it was a great way to vent anger...which I did use it for, but also I used it to brainstorm and it eventually led to artwork.
Congrats on having all the pieces feel like they are coming together and getting to do some focused art journaling work with the new group!!

Inspirations for me have come from lots of different places. The Artist's Way definitely. But also John Fox's Poetic Medicine. Though that is "poetry therapy", I find the exercises and prompts very visual and adaptable to art making. Also Chris over at Arts In Therapy Network has some good "definitions" and links to other teachers and associations and the like:

http://www.artsintherapy.com

Also the ideas behind The Hero's Journey have been very inspiring. There are tons of resources for this topic, but some of my favs are:

Campbell's "The Hero with a Thousand Faces"

Murdock's "The Heroine's Journey"

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/

http://www.yourheroicjourney.com/Workshop.shtml

http://www.herosjourneyprograms.com/

http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/buddha

Anyway, that's all I can think of off the top of my head... If I think of more, I'll come back and post again...
miracles,
k-
FAQ said…
Look at all the useful feedback you all have provided me with. I'm learning so much as I go back and look at my journals too. Thanks everyone!

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