Why Keep a Visual Journal? reading from my sketchbook

How can you artfully document and process the experiences of your life, without doing it on social media or keeping a traditional scrapbook?

Big life changes and transitions make great topics for a single subject visual journal, because you can keep it all private and don’t have to show it to anyone unless you want to.

In this video I’ll read you one of my written journal entries inside the visual journal I kept during business school.

I keep all sorts of visual journals because it’s a really satisfying way to make meaningful art without any pressure to show it or share it.

Since my visual journals are journals, I keep them private, like you would a written diary.

The writing is something I don't usually share with people, especially EVERYONE on Youtube! But when I have shared writings and images like this from my visual journals in my classes and with artist friends, they always encourage me to share more, and share publicly. This is an experiment that may stop at any time. LOL.

You can let me know in the comments if this type of video resonates with you, if it’s helpful and what else you’d like to see more of on my channel. I LOVE reading your comments and do my best to respond to all of your questions.

What is visual journaling? Why keep a sketchbook? How is that the same or different from keeping an art journal?

Keeping a visual journal is vital to my creative process, but first, it was always the way I processed my feelings, made sense out of the senseless, and found meaning in my challenges.

This is what it means to put your creative process before the outcome. What ends up on the pages of my visual journals are a result of digging deep and being willing to tell the truth about my own experience. The images and words that appear flow from the creative reservoir that is inside all of us.

This is what I share and teach in my visual journaling classes and workshops. Below are suggested videos for you to watch next, as well as links to my art and teaching websites.

Thanks so much for being here, and I hope you take away something that helps you make art and feel better.

🎥WATCH NEXT 🍿

Learn more about how to structure your visual journal in this video: How Making Art Helps You Find Your Purpose.

If you want to see how I use a visual journal to support my creative practice as a painter, and hear me read another written journal entry about the benefit to my art practice of keeping visual journals, then watch this video:

[ ABOUT ] Lisa Sonora & Visual Journal Studio

Hi! I’m Lisa Sonora, a visual artist, author, and former art therapist.

Creating art can transform your life, but self-doubt and judgment make it hard to get started — and that’s why I teach Visual Journaling — a powerful creative practice that can disarm your inner critic and free you to make meaningful art with confidence.

If you're curious how visual journaling can help you make more meaningful art AND support your emotional well being, then I'd love to send you my free illustrated visual journal guidebook.

[ LINKS & GOODIES ]

[ LET’S CONNECT! ]

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Please subscribe to my channel for more mixed media visual journaling tips and tutorials.

#visualjournal #artheals #VisualJournalStudio

[LisaSonora]

Why do YOU keep a visual journal? And if you haven't tried it, how can I help you start?

[AngieTrianta]

I love your You Tube videos, Lisa. Your teaching, courses, and visual journaling method have helped me navigate many challenging times in my life over the last 7 years. And yes, survival has been a massive part of that. I’m now using my visual journaling to help me deal with my anxiety about upcoming surgery. Hopefully your videos reach people who are new to your methods.

[carolynplourde]

I’ve been keeping journals visuals and otherwise for years! And it has for me as well saved my life. They are home to my soul.Having fellow visual journalers like you is so very inspiring thank you!

[CynthiaJaneCollinsstudios]

Lisa, I cannot express adequately how very much your clear, truthful teaching and personal sharing means to me. I’ve been around the spiritual, artistic, journaling, counseling. and teaching blocks a few times, on both sides of the desk. Your laser sharp focus on on the sanctity of each person’s creativity (not artistic ability!) as a key to unlocking the wisdom in each of our stories, experiences, and lives is solidly grounded in the personal practice first your own life, and the lives of your LITERALLY thousands of students. I admire your willingness and ability to translate academic theory into practical actions for eachs own personal development

[kathyn]

Lisa, I found your channel during the night. One video and I had to subscribe. I have several sketchbooks I play in as often as I can. I’m retired, a two-time breast cancer survivor that went through a year of chemo, surgery, and radiation during a pandemic only because I had a brand new grandchild. There are now two and I’m lucky to be a caregiver a few days each week. My husband and I share a house but that is all we share. My grandkids ground me, along with all my art supplies, fabric, stamps, stencils…I have a fondness for it ALL. Creating art has been my therapy for years but has evolved into something I have to have every day. My best friend for almost 50 yrs shared that hobby with me. She passed away earlier this year from an aggressive battle with cancer. Then my days got darker and its been hard to enjoy some of those things. But I’m still here, thank God, and trying to get my head on straight again. Your method of visual journaling has sparked something inside of me and instead of sleeping a few hours longer, I watched several of your videos. Today is a new day! Please continue to share your written thoughts and work. I am so enjoying it!

[soniaperez]

I started to make visual journal pages because your videos are inspiring me, and because I am going through some really difficult times right now. I agree with you Lisa, that creating visual journal pages is a way to save ourselves. I love how I feel after I process emotions, thoughts, concerns, etc, through my visual journals. Thank you for all you do!

[emmakupumitchell]

Thank you Lisa for sharing these videos (and the time they take!!) I love your authenticty and honesty and really appreciate you sharing your own pages from your visual journal ...you continue to nudge me to make the TIME and SPACE for self caring in my own visual journal - when life keeps pulling me away from it !!! you and your courses have kept me sane over the last few years!! forever grateful - please keep sharing more videos'!!!

[donnalevreault]

Lisa, I so enjoy your videos. I admire your vulnerability and the warmth you can project through them. You have inspired me to keep a visual journal, which I have kept going for several months. You give ultimate permission to play and I need that, maybe we all do.

[JoanzRough]

Yes, Lisa, Please keep doing these videos. As I begin a major change in my life they help me keep in touch why I keep a visual journal even though I don't always have time. Journals definitely add to my purpose and save my life every day and you keep inspiring me to keep going.

[jmur]

When trying a new art form, seeing examples is quite helpful. Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

[ademarsay]

Thank you, Lisa! Just the message I needed to hear today. Yes, please keep sharing on your YouTube channel. Your videos are well done, warm and appealing. I would not have known you were nervous! I also love seeing glimpses of your life in Oaxaca. I want to spend more time in my visual journal this summer, imagining my trip to Wales next year. And you just gave me a fresh idea--exploring my writing process in my journal.

[bethanychamberlain]

Hi Lisa 😊 I’ve been really enjoying this series of videos and I love seeing inside your visual journals and hearing about your process so please do keep making them 🙏😘

[margueritebryant]

I love that you are putting out frequent videos! Keep it up! And love to see your dogs, too!

[nevilgrubb]

I started years ago keeping journals. I write in them and then paint over the words. This is a two fold sanity exercise!
Thanks for your videos

[leialohah]

Aloha Lisa…definitely keep sharing your awesome videos…love seeing you page through your journal journey!! Mahalo Nui

[renecerrito]

Love this Lisa! You are such a natural on video. Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to more videos from you!

[RefreshwithDawn]

I’m happy to see examples from what you do in your visual journal. You’re doing a great job, Lisa! :)
I started what I refer to as my art journal back in 2011 for six years; then I was more sporadic with it for several years. But I’ve been regularly in it again since 2020, which makes me happy. Right now I’m using inks, gouache, pastel crayons, colored pencils, collage based in fabric (my sweet spot!), magazine fodder, ephemera, and embellishments. I sometimes use stencils and I stamp letters and other subject matter.
I keep a visual journal to bring my subconscious to the fore; it is a deeply spiritual experience for me and I learn from my intuitive center what I need to know. It reveals things to me that I may not otherwise discover without it. It is deeply satisfying, fun and thought provoking.
Thank you for being brave enough to share from your visual journals. It is inspiring!

[amihickenking]

OMG--yes, please keep sharing! This was awesome and I appreciate you being vulnerable and sharing your private journal in this public space. It's helpful to see how you've created yours, especially if someone doesn't feel "artsy." I also love the idea of using another book to journal over. I've been clearing bookshelves and found a blogging/art book that's "pretty, " but wish I read it in a timely manner. Over a decade later, it's not helpful and it's so "dated" that I'm going to repurpose it, now--so thanks for that great tip, too!

[Flatshader]

Been watching your videos….recently started, YES getting inspiration!

[annatronson]

Hi Lisa, I would continue to watch your videos and get inspiration to continue, in mine! 🦅🪶🦋☕️