Step #2: Making Time

Time. It seems like there's not much of it nowadays. With the days getting even shorter come autumn and shorter still when winter comes around, all of our valuable time seems to disintegrate. But if you truly want to create... to use your mind to it's full potential and to use it as therapy, you'll make time. Trust me. I know these things. In only a few minutes a day you can make progress on a page. I say progress because my pages use lots of layers. On each page I probably use around 15 - 20 layers. Layers of everything from collage to stamps to paint. And everything that could possibly fit in between. But if you are one of those people who like to draw in their art journals, then you could finish a page in a day. I have made this promise to myself - my pages are not complete until I'm absolutely in love with the page. So I add layers. Lots of them. Until the page is exactly the way I want it. For real. Maybe your decision will be different. Maybe you'll decide you don't care if you don't like it. Maybe you want to teach yourself that everything doesn't have to be perfect - a type of inner healing. That everything doesn't have to be perfect. Maybe. It's your choice, not mine. It's your art journal. Your life. Make time. Learn that when something is important; that form of healing needs to be let lose. You know that voice is there. The little opinion when you see something particularly appealing to your eye. It says you could make something. Something like that. Something even better. But your feelings. Your opinions. Your voice. The creative fire inside of you is smothered. And you don't even know it. You've learned to ignore it. Change is possible. Believe me. I know. When you finally take out the art supplies and let yourself play. Just do it. It's not hard. Put paint on a page. Add something else to make it your own. If you feel like it, draw an element. If you don't feel like it, don't. Try to understand that playing in an art journal can be a form of healing. Like therapy. It soothes your soul. And gets you into a different state of mind that allows ideas to flow. If you don't have any ideas, slap some glue on the back of some ephemera and press it down. Ideas will come. When you let them. Please let them. So many people say they're not creative. But let me tell you something. Something very special. You are. You are creative. You can do what you never even dreamed possible. If only you'll let lose a little. Let go of that feeling of hopelessness. You know the one. The one that tries to discourage everything you do. Your every move. Judging you. Making you feel bad about making time for yourself. Don't let that happen. So make a few minutes. If only 5 a day or a couple of hours. Just create daily. It's important. Believe me. It's a form of healing. In fact, it's healing your soul.