Inside my studio there are piles of 'Studio Journals' - aka my sketchbooks, scrapbooks, and notebooks all rolled into one. I have over 25 years years of these beauties that I use daily in my art practice.
They are my treasure and my pleasure.
When I started working with 'Studio Journals' rather than sketchbooks, they liberated and changed how I approached my painting, for the good.
By creating a Studio Journal I create a personal document recording insights, thoughts and best bits from rough work, ideas, and sometimes even actual sketches.
These journals are so much more than a sketchbook - an entirely different animal. I think the practice of keeping a studio journal is one of the three important foundations of being a successful artist. (the other two are colour and drawing - or line as I refer to it, as it sounds less scary!)
These books are the playground in which your creativity can hang out, a place where you can
tune in and develop the practice of noticing what you notice as well as a place to record these insights.
Like the mark of a fine pen? write it in there.
Prefer ultramarine to cyan? paint it in there.
Like a little bit of the colour mixing you did? tear it off the sheet and stick it in your journal.
Like that painting by Rothko? paste it in here, and write, write, write about it in there.
All these little breadcrumbs, all these sparks of 'yeses' are gold for you and your creativity. It really is the key to your creativity.
Start keeping a studio journal and you'll find that it is a route map to the easiest way of making your best art.
Never run out of ideas
Keep motivated
Aspire to your best art
But the really smart and fun part of these journals is the fact that they liberate your expression. They are not precious, don't need to be perfect, they are dumping grounds for your ideas. Having said that they become very precious and the more you fill them, you'll find that they contain your gold.
I've made a film as part of my monthly tutorial "Studio Sessions" that gives an insight into my own Studio Journals and shows you a step-by-step guide to creating and keeping your own.
You can find info about the recording here,
