Dip a Toe into Art Journaling Swap

I have been thinking about how to do this swap since I joined Swapbot a few weeks ago. I have recently very into learning about Expressive Therapy... LOOKING at Art Journaling as Expressive Therapy, and READING about Art Journaling and learning about Art Journaling.... but... Not doing any these days.

How about you? Let's change that together.

With this swap you will have 3 partners. For each partner, you will make an art work that expresses some kind of EMOTION. Art Journaling is usually flat, so as to fit into a journal, and can be used in many ways, but Expressive Therapy is generally art as a healthy way of expressing negative emotions. For instance, I created a painting once that was entitled ANNOYANCE and was about a fight I had with the man in my life. It was great!

Expressive Therapy is not supposed to be "perfect", it is supposed to be emotional and true. So you will have a mere 7 days to mail off all 3 projects. You will have to work fast, with a minimum of "thinking," and probably using whatever you have on hand or can find. Since the work is about you, not your partner, you can start working the minute you sign up.

These projects can be any size. If you really want to make ATCs, you can...or break out of that box. Make something bigger or smaller. You can make something three dimensional or make it flat. Use any technique or a combination of techniques. But make it handmade. And yes, you can use simple construction paper, glitter, crayons and school glue, as well as more expensive, "artsy" supplies.

Include a note to tell your partner about your work. It can be simply telling them what emotion you are expressing...or it can be more details.

If you have a happy or positive emotion express that.... if it's negative or dark, express that too. You can express an emotion you are having right now or remember an emotion you had in the past.

And it doesn't have to pretty. It doesn't have to be good enough to trade. It doesn't have to meet up to anyone's expectations. Making your first ATC can be intimidating...the idea of being "judged" or compared or "am I doing it right??" None of that is possible with these projects.

BUT YOU WILL have to mail it, so keep that in mind.

The point of this is to force everyone [especially ME] to stop thinking and start feeling.... to make something but not keep it ... to send it out into the nether as a way of "releasing" ... to get dirty and mucky and involved ... to reveal a part of ourselves .... to know that someone else is going to receive that part of us and look at it... and it is ok.

Your partner may keep your work..... they may just look at it for a little bit and then trash it. They may put it into their own Art Journal... or use your work as a reason to start one. They may use your work as a base for a new artwork they do. It is ok.

This swap is international, because sometimes the farther away you can send the thing, the better. :-)

Some ideas to get you started...

• tear pictures out of magazines and glue on paper
• use words scribbled or stamped or cut out ransom-note style
• include actual snapshots
• found items, receipts, bus tokens, junk mail
• memorabilia of that ex
• acrylic paints
• watercolors
• fiber arts.... knit it or crochet it or hand sew it or tie it together with dirty shoelaces
• pick up some items from nature to include IF YOU GET A PARTNER IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY OR THE ITEMS YOU INCLUDE ARE 'ALLOWED'
• put paint on your shoe and step all over it
• use clashing/incongruous colors
• don't make it CUTE
• snip off a lock of your own hair and paint with it
• staple on some stuff
• turn something inside out
• work backwards -- instead of identifying an emotion and then representing it, just make the project however you are inspired, then look at it and identify what emotion it represents
• try something new you've been afraid of, for fear of making "a mistake"
• use non-art supplies -- white out, nail polish, staples, masking tape, scotch tape, notebook paper, make up, sand, dirt...(anything except for that gunk inside your sink trap. you know what I mean. Because that stuff is nasty!)

Let's create!