Your art is NOT lame

I love these supportive answer's to Elise's concern that her journal art is lame... she writes: "My problem is my pages are so lame. I'm trying different techniques and have read several art journaling books but it's frustrating because I can't seem to get the desired result. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get out of this rut and produce something nice? thanks, Elise"

Answers:
1. I am really very new to this type of art. I had some fears at first but justjoined in and tried things and posted them. I bet that if you posted a work andexplained what effect you wanted there would be loads of suggestions from themembers here. Everyone has been very supportive AND supplied so muchinformation about products and tools and the techniques they used, you can'thelp but learn. Eventually my journal pages will be technically improved butwill not look like Shay's or Kim's or anyone elses, 'cause their mine. I findthat wonderfully encouraging.All the best,Catherine

2. Elise - what sort of look are you trying to get? I'll help if I can. I knowthere are tons of how to videos on youtube too.Stacy

3. What is so lame about them?...Well Elise, it would help if we knew what your pages looked like. Maybe Imissed a posting to your blog or am mixing up your name. But, you could try atechnique that you see here on someones page. Perhaps if you see one you'd liketo do something similar to, you could ask the person who posted it what theyused. Try adding a small picture or border or design to a page filled withwriting. There is no need to have one a pic and the next page all writing. Mixthe two up. Can you show some pages so we could give more suggestions?Timaree

4.Good point Tamera. and a good reminder to all of us who are hesitant about making a great page.
While doing the Artists Way on the first go -round, one phrase still sticks with me: She says ..."allow yourself to be a beginner."
Such a simple phrase but I think sometimes I attempt to skip over the 'beginner part' and, well, one really can't skip the whole learning process, even if some learn faster than others.
Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart...
Gina Lighton

5. Elise,The answer is to relax and not judge your journal art so harshly. You will findyou get the hang of the methods and the tricks as time passes and you will findthat you are happier with your journal art after you have been doing it a while.The point of doing the journals is to enjoy the process without the pressure ofperfection. To try lots of other people's suggestions and find what things youlike and what things you feel you are good at.Have fun with it!Leanne(New Zealand)

6. Elise, Sometimes the best way to learn is to take one technique at a time and just give it a try, even if it's on a scrap of paper. Just to get the technique into your vocabulary. Then eventually when you go to do a page you have a few different ways to approach it. The other suggestion ( and note, I haven't seen your pages so I don't know if this applies) is to start with a background using the whole page. Just put some color down using anything from paint to pastels or ink pads, etc. and then begin building on that. You can use collage if the page gets too dark or too busy. Just work back and forth until you get where you want it. Don't judge, or overthink it! It's all a learning process for all of us. Good luck!
Gina

7. The only advice I have is just be easy on yourself. This is no contest and youare being unduly hard on yourself. Art journaling books are only a brush swipeon the surface. take a deep breathe and plundge in..after many years at this itsstill the best and true way I think (please try it! :-) Shay

8. Dearest Elsie,
So glad you asked for a little help - this is a wonderful group of generous people. So, this is a safe place to make yourself vulnerable :-)) One thing to keep in mind - we all have that inner critic - the one that tells us our art is "lame", not as good as so and so's and any number of negative comments. We all need to learn to ignore them - they really don't know what they are talking about. You have the desire to create or you wouldn't be trying and you certainly wouldn't be here, right?
The only advice I have for you is to do something creative every day. Pay attention to the kinds of art that grab you - you may want to experiment with watercolor or pen and ink drawings or collage. Ask questions - accept help - get creative :-) There are so many ways to release that inner artist - just try not to over think it and please don't call your art "lame". Maybe it's not perfect or what you want to be creating right now, but with practice you will improve and you will develop your own artistic voice. Just don't give up and do not compare your art to anyone else's!! So, put your pencil, brush or pen to paper and just do it - everyday.
Thanks for joining us,
Kim Owens
Group Moderator

9. I am going to be taking a painting class for the first time at the age of 55- I am not only a beginner, but a late bloomer to the 'fine arts".Having had cancer put a new spin on my life. It is very humbeling to sit beside the "20 something " year olds and see what they produce... I'm a beginner, opening myself to explore the world of color on the paper- 2 things I love.

10. Victoria, I hope you enjoy your painting class. Don't let the twenty-somethingsintimidate you. Just tell them you are a real beginner and hope to pick up onsome of their knowledge. That seems to make people want to help rather thanridicule and you might have a more relaxing time. Just being 55 is giving me adifferent outlook and I haven't had cancer to add to that. Life is too shortand tenuous to sit back and let art pass us by.Timaree

11. Victoria,That is so wonderful to hear! To try a new passtime at any age is wonderful. Iam so pleased that you gave in to your desires and followed your heart to art.You will have a completely different take on it to the "20 something" year oldstoo!!Leanne(New Zealand)

12. You go, girl! Enjoy the class. The young people will enjoy having you in their class, just as much as you will enjoy them. I went back to college at 42 to get a BA in Art and Philosophy, graduated at 46 and I loved every class I had because of the minds of these young people. I went to a small private college so there was not that many older students but it was enjoyable because of the young adults I was around. I had a lot of friends that were 20 or so years younger than me and it did not matter. I did have friends that were closer to my age and we all talked about having the experience of learning along side the youngsters. So enjoy your class it is worth the effort for the experience alone. Have a great and creative day!;-)Rhonda (aka The Philosopher Artist)

13. Elise, Please remember! Anything you see in a book or even on-line is
somebody's "best of" example. Nobody puts up a picture of pages that don't work.
A book author/editor has a particular interest of printing pages that work
well--they are ideals. Also, these pictures in particular are done by
experienced journalers; a lot of times they are even professional artists. So
what you're judging yourself against is an unrealistic standard and unfair to
yourself. Your goal is to have fun and to express yourself, not to produce
beautiful pages. Once you let yourself enjoy the processes, the pretty pages
will follow. My mom journals with lots of rubber stamps and scrapbook stickers
becase she has very severe arthritis and can barely hold a pen--she's also
dyslexic, so her handwriting and spelling are almost incomprehensible. But her
pages are lovely and real. They just don't look like the ones you see in books.
And most important, she really enjoys herself.
Art journaling is for enjoyment, not to be one more thing you have to be good
at!
I think there are some tutorials in the files here. There used to be some
really good ones in the group "composition art journals", too--step by step
ideas where you aren't looking at someone's pretty pictures. Also look for
Sarah Whitmire's Caspiana blog--last summer she did a whole soul journal
tutorial. The entries are still there. My soul journal sucked. Not one spread
worked at all. But I had fun with it. Sometimes I still take it out and
putter.
Don't worry so much, and never compare your pages to someone else's, especially
to a professional artist who has been doing it for years!
Good luck--Tamera