Thursday, August 1, 2013

Art Journal Sharing

Cover Completion of  A Journey Within.

                                                   Front cover.

                                                 
                                                   Keys to creativity.
                                                      Spine decorated with ribbon & keys
                                                    Inside cover.
                                                   Introduction.
                                          Title page.
                                          Back inside cover.
                                                    Inadvertent learning.
                                                    Back Cover.

After struggling with repairing the binding of the book, I was finally able to glue and bind the cover back on.  The completed design for the cover is much different than what I originally envisioned.  I had planned for a bright, sunny color for the background paper; purple was the front-runner.  I came across the sheet of map paper with the street sign and an idea formed in my head of using the phrase a map towards my Higher-Self.   I then found the keys (representing unlocking my creativity) and the brass brads which matched perfectly.  While decidedly different, it is more fitting of the title of the course; A Journey Within: a guide to unlocking your creativity.  

New art journal: Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul
                        Title page: Navigating the Dark Night of the Soul.  A personal book study of the book Defy Gravity by Caroline Myss.
                                          Pages 1 & 2.
                                                    Page 1:  Climbing out of this inner darkness.
                                                   Page 2: Give up the need to know why, and Forgiveness.
                                         Pages 3& 4
                                                    Page 3:  Identifying my inner reptiles.
                                                    Page 4: Give up the need to know why: stop reasoning.
                                          Pages 5 & 6.
                                                    Page 5: Prayer.
                                                      Page 6: Meditate on the light within you.

The delay for this post was my reluctance in sharing this new art journal.  I found myself putting off posting without fully realizing why.  I came to the realization that I feared what people might say or worst yet, their judgmental comments.    Part of this spiritual journal is recognizing my stumbling blocks and fear has moved in and taken root.  I don’t remember when it stepped into my life.  It wasn't that long ago when I wasn't afraid to do or try anything.  I have my theories but that’s for another posting.

This art journal is a way to express the emotional turmoil I have been, and still am, going through.
It began when winter arrived.   I found myself in this dark hole, unable to see beyond the moment that I was living in.  The desire to accomplish anything was gone; I found myself literally wasting the days away in front of the TV with this feeling of deep despair.  I recognized that I was in dark place but the gumption to start the climb out simply wasn't there.  Overwhelmed by all the things I should be doing, I did nothing, as if frozen in ice waiting for someone to use a pick ax and chip me out.  Spring arrived, a time when I normally spend the entire day working in my gardens.  Instead, the weeds grew and the grass filled in my beautifully laid out flower beds.  Then a friend unintentionally gave me the initial push I needed (thanks Barb!).  I took the first step up that steep wall out of the hole.

I knew the place where my soul had gone.  I recognized it from a book I had read three years or so earlier, Defy Gravity by Caroline Myss.  When I first read it, it had an impact on how I viewed my life.  Little did I know that it was preparing me for this spiritual journey, the Dark Night of the Soul.   I’ve always done personal book studies.  I have composition books filled with notes from various books I have read that helped me deal with or get through specific trouble spots.  Because I am shifting internally, I needed to create something from my thoughts this time rather than simply write so I chose to do an art journal.

There are many types of spiritual journeys.  I would love to hear about yours if you would be willing to share.

NOTE:  If you need a better understanding of what the Dark Night of the Soul is, please go here.  I stumbled upon her blog post while I was looking for the original poem written by Saint John of the Cross.  

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