We can keep finding inspiration, from books we love and that might have been on our shelf for a long time, other artists, supplies we haven’t used in a while, or combined with supplies or techniques that we use all the time. If you’re feeling out of ideas, just look around.

I’m really ‘behind’ on the online courses I’ve signed up for. If I could, my art classes would be at the top of my list, wouldn’t you agree? But unfortunately, other things in life tend to compete for our attention and then thankfully we get a break and time to catch up.

I recently created this mini journal for Rakefet Hadar’s SoulPages course, Soul Circle: The Wheel of Time, for an amazing lesson by Iris Gal from a few months ago, based on the book Women who run with the Wolves and the myth of the Wolf Moon. I bought this book probably in the 80s and can’t tell you how many times it has moved with me.

If you’re familiar with it, you know that it’s not a book that reads like a novel. It’s one that you return to again and again, and that reads differently in every decade you return to it, as you yourself change into a different person and read and understand the myths differently. I would probably be more inclined to listen to Clarissa Pinkola Estes read it at this point since her narration is so captivating to listen to. It’s like poetry or music, if you’ve never had the pleasure to hear her read her work.

For the lesson, Iris read a quote from the book from the myth of the wolf moon and invited us to create a page for our small journal based on each quote and connected to the feeling each evoked. The different techniques for creating each page, such as using parchment paper, fabric or a paper bag, lended themselves to the feeling of each quote and allowed us to sink into the depth of meaning further as we worked on creating in our visual journals.

I don’t usually sew in my journal but I’ve been meaning to try it, and it’s fun. The raw yarn added some further elements of texture, and creating a separate little journal like this feels like it has its own important meaning. An important connection from this lesson for me was that since I’ve been finding myself getting back into doing portraits again, this was another invitation, and I ended up stumbling upon a technique that I love. The wild woman I chose to create and who became the cover, needed some shading, and I ended up using a favorite supply that I haven’t used in a while, and that I don’t think to use as part of my visual journaling approach.

I love these Faber Castell water soluble graphite pencils. When I first tried them, I bought a ton of them in fear that they would stop making them and I wouldn’t be able to get them anymore. Have you ever done that with something? I haven’t used them in quite this way, though: in combination with watercolor and posca like this and I love it! I feel that this is a technique that I will use a lot going forward. It’s so great when other artists can inspire us and lead us to something that we love and that is so who we are!

Keep moving forward, and trying things. I’m finding that since I started a regular art journaling practice, I’ve really started to open up, both creatively and expressively. I hope you’re seeing this too!

Note: I’m not an affiliate for any of the linked items in this post.