July prompts for the 2017 art journaling journey

Hello lovely artist,

July is here already with lots of sunshine and summer fun! I hope you have some time to work in your art journal this month.

Our guest artist is Rosemary Roast, a woman of MANY wonderful talents. If you didn’t have a chance to watch our fab video chat, here is the link.

All the links to her various enterprises will be at the end of the prompts.

heArt Journaling with Rosemary Roast

I’ve always called art journaling, heART journaling because, as a holistic practitioner, it is more than making a piece of art. It’s more than making a product. For me it’s about the process of creation… and the journey of manifestation… it’s about Self Care and healing. I often refer to the practice as one of the key Medicines in my holistic Medicine pouch.

Throughout much of my adult life I’ve been a journaler, and the practice accelerated when my spiritual and holistic seeking sunk deep roots. Originally my journals where all words, words that expressed life’s challenges and gratitudes, observations and desired actions. There would be doodling (I’ve always doodled), and then drawing manifested on the pages, and eventually some color.

And it was through the magic of the internet that I discovered this thing we call art journaling. At that time I met a tribe of art journalers, and that may well have been when Maria and I connected (I don’t remember, but while we’ve never met in the physical world, we’ve known each other a long time). ::nods::

So now I’m here… with you… to share something that I hope will invite some meaning and value, harmony and healing into your art practice, your life, your world.

Funny thing though: I rarely work with prompts, so this is a real challenge for me! The good news is: I do love a challenge.

That said, the season of summer reigns in my realm, and even as things heat up, and the garden, harvest and preserving tasks beg my daily attention, it’s a season that embodies a hurry up and wait energy, know what I mean?

So this is the season of keeping things simple so I may navigate those tasks of highest value to me (nurturing and preserving Food and Medicine) with some grace and harmony. And so it goes with your prompts…

PROMPT 1
• Touching Trust
Goal: Just trust the process… of randomness, uncontrolled expression, PLAY!

Sit quietly with your eyes closed, and be with the natural cadence of your breath.
With your eyes still closed, imagine… see… the color/s of Trust.
When you’re ready, open your eyes and choose your paint to match the color, or colors of Trust
that you perceived.

Place the color/s on a palette. If you have one color, add a bit of white. Spray a bit of water in your palette if you feel a need. Place your palette in easy reach.

Prepare your journal, or substrate of choice, by placing your hands on it. Close your eyes and let your hands feel the surface… let your being feel what begs to be expressed… don’t force it, be gentle and take your time… Trust the process… Trust yourSelf.

When you feel ripe and ready, with your eyes still closed, place your hand/s over your palette… let your hand/s hover over the colors… feel the colors mesh with your intention, your Trust on the creative process… and let your hand/s drop into the paint.

Allow spontaneity, play and intuitive Trust to move your hand/s to your painting surface and let your hand/s and color flow, move in whatever way you feel guided and inspired.

Return to your palette for more paint until you and your surface feel full and nourished.

Sit gently, eyes still closed, honor and thank the Trust your just experienced. Honor and thank the relationship your just nurtured with Trust. Know that Trust might well be a nickname for your Muse.

Open your eyes, take in the outcome of your creative journey with Trust.

You may want to leave the creation as is, a pure expression of visual Trust. You may want to
embellish it with more paint, drawing, collage, stamping, or a word or words. Do whatever Trust
guides you to do. And appreciate it.

PROMPT 2
• Trusting Expression
Goal: To showcase a word or simple phrase that is grounding, profound, of deep and meaningful value to you.

Repeat the guidance of the first prompt to create a start of a background.

Place your hands on that first layer, close your eyes and dream of all the experiences that nurture, nourish and sustain you… as they enter your awareness, embrace them, thank them, and
feel them… deeply.

Ask them what they all have in common, what connects them to one another… and to you. Ask them for a word or phrase that defines their relationship to you and your heART flame.

Take your time. Wait for it.

When you feel ripe and ready, open your eyes and regard your first layer.

Hold your word/phrase in your heart and consciously add layers (of any kind) to it that will cradle your
word/s.

Then… add your word/s… with love and honor, and embellish as you’re guided.
When you’re done, smile, and offer gratitude for the journey. Always.

PROMPT 3
• Trust Simplicity
Goal: Keep it simple. Simply draw. That’s all.

Maybe you have a blank, untouched surface. Maybe you have a surface that you already started
or created.

Whatever it is, that’s your surface to SIMPLY draw, with a pen, a pencil, a crayon, a
marker, whatever! Just draw… symbols, shapes, an imagined image, something in your environment, whatever. Just draw.

And when you feel done, smile, and offer gratitude for the journey. Again gratitude, always.