Step #11 - Types of Paper: Newspaper

Yes, you read it right - I use newspaper ALL the time in my art journal. It resembles book paper if used in the right way in an art journal. So, if you can't bear to ruin a book for the pages, then this is a very good substitute. When underneath many or even just a few layers, it looks almost identical to book paper. Plus, newspaper is very common in everyday life. If you don't receive a newspaper, a lot of times cities have free weekly newspapers. They are much smaller but are just about perfect for crafting needs - I can normally stretch the entire newspaper until the next week when a new one arrives. A lot of ladies that I know use newspaper only use the regular wording. They don't even try to use the photographs, which, as a matter of fact, are very nice to use in collage portions of an art journal page or spread. Another section of the newspaper that is my very favorite to use is the Here and Now pages. I love how the words are separated into little blocks of wording - it creates quite a nice pattern when a large piece is used. Almost like a grid. Speaking of grids, lines and grids are very attractive in any type of art. Art journaling or otherwise. A lot of times you really can't tell if it's book paper or newspaper unless you get up close and try to determine which it is. Which people mostly don't do. And plus, even if they did, why would it matter? It looks good both ways and sometimes I even use both materials in the same page or spread. They look slightly different when they are placed side by side, adding variation. Though slight, such variation adds amazing variety to a page. And plus, newspaper is cheap - even if you don't feel like setting up for the free paper, a lot of times your friends and family do receive the daily paper are more than willing to get rid of a few of their old papers. The news in them is since old, and, since you're using them for crafting and a lot of the words will be covered up, it doesn't matter what the words say. So I encourage you to go out and get a newspaper today. Whether it be a free one, a paid for one, or one that somebody gives you - go find one. And use it. Do it. Trust me. I know.

Step #4: The 'Ugly' Stage

In every art journal page there is a stage where I hate it. It's fact. Then I add more layers and I start to see the beauty that is hidden there - beneath the surface. The more stuff you add, that ugliness that you saw at first is entirely covered up and you don't have to think about it. Just do it. If you absolutely hate it and nothing you do can change that, then simply take some white paint and cover the whole thing up. Start again. With an entirely new, fresh start. But first, if you would, try to rescue it. The picture above is a page that I'm not crazy about. At all. I don't really like it. But tomorrow the picture will be changed. It'll be the same page. But changed. I'm going to add bits and pieces to this. And change it. I'm going to get it out of this 'ugly' stage. And I see the beauty in this page. I really do. I just don't like it now. I'll give it a total makeover and you can too. I believe in you. Now you need to believe in me. Just don't get frustrated. That will ruin your emotions and make working in your art journal a chore instead of a getaway place to have fun. Tomorrow's post will actually be about seeing beauty in 'ugly' pages, so that should inspire you also. Adding layers on top of the parts that you hate, then you are covering up those and adding gorgeous pieces that you are in love with. When you use things and colors that you love, then you begin to love the page itself. So use things you love, and you might not hate a page. But I do challenge you to do something different. Think outside the box. Don't let yourself fall into the rhythm of simply using your favorite colors and elements. That will make all of your pages look the same and you don't want that. I'd like you to try using some colors you don't like for a change. The page above is pink and yellow. I don't like pink. At all. And yellow certainly isn't my favorite color. But with everything I add. The other colors I'll add on top of this and the pieces of ephemera will change that. Now that just might sound funny to your inner voice. Your inner critic. Your inner artist. Yes, I said it. Your inner artist. You are an artist. And there's nothing you can say that's going to change my mind. Now you just need to make up your own mind. You are an artist. And you need to know it. It is fact. Now decide to believe it. It might not be easy. It might be one of the hardest struggles you've ever had with your inner self. But in the long run it will help you. It will change your life for the better. So I challenge you today to take a page that you don't like and change it, add to it, or alter it until you like it. That's your goal for today. Now go do it.