So proud of myself! just did some journaling by 5's

My goal this year is to get more painty/artsy and this process looks to help tone down the over-thinking involved in starting something.

Thanks for sharing!

I've watched some of the videos for Journaling by 5's (Shannon Green's, or some other people's- I can't remember who), and it really depends on how YOU like to work.

I personally am NOT a 'do-one-page-all-the way-through-until-it's all-the-way-done' kind of person with art journaling OR scrapbooking, so doing my art journal pages in stages works for me. It depends on what I feel like doing: I like making backgrounds in one sitting (getting messy with paint or ink), adding layers at another time (getting messy with glue), then choosing / adding focal images, doodling, adding details, etc. in different sessions. If that doesn't work for you, then don't do it! There aren't any rules in art journaling; it's just a different way to express yourself.

What I do use this sort of thing for, though, is to help my decision making process go faster- I will go through my stash and grab a small pile of images or papers that seem to be inspiring me at the moment, and use a short time span to help me make decisions more quickly, rather than fiddling around with pages endlessly doing the "should I put this image here, or 1/2 inch to the left?" "or wait, how about here?" sort of thing... (I don't use an alarm, though- that's too restrictive for me).

The way I art journal (and again, everyone needs to find a style that works for them) is to make a background either with collaged paper or paint, add some smaller pieces (strips, shapes, etc) of pattern on top either with washi tape, more patterned paper, etc. then add some sort of focal image(s). They might not all 'match' but I'll make the page work out by adding MORE stuff on top of it later, either with markers, cut-out words from a magazine, more collaged paper or smaller images, more washi tape, doodling with markers or gel pens, etc.

The journaling by 5's idea is a good way to speed up your decision making a bit, and to help you to get comfortable with being a little more 'free' with the design process. But, like I said, if that's not how you like to work, then don't stress yourself out with it-- it should be a fun process, not scary or intimidating! There's no 'rules' for art journaling; do it however you want! (heck, I don't even write on my pages most of the time- they're strictly collage and doodling... but that's what works for me.)

ETA:  one thing that WILL help with starting something 'new' like this is (and this is my opinion, only, of course) if you have decent-quality paper in whatever book you choose to use.  My very first art journal was a cheap composition notebook and I was always fighting with the paper buckling because it was just cheap notebook paper- not really meant for lots of paint and gluing, even with gluing some of the pages together to make them sturdier.  I buy medium-weight sketchbooks at M's or J's with a coupon; the paper is a bit sturdier and can hold up to getting painted and glued without buckling or tearing.  But again, you don't even have to art journal in an actual 'journal.' You can use loose sheets of scrapbook paper (I like the heavier-weight double-sided paper-- plus, it already has a pattern on it to start out); manila file folders; an old calendar; anything you want as a base for your pages.  You can make a book out of it later if you want, or just leave them loose.