I’ve been writing a lot in my journal this week.

I write often, but I’ve noticed that when I’m working through something—when life feels uncertain, or I’m searching for answers—I tend to write even more.

There’s something that happens inside me when I put pen to paper. It becomes a safe place for all the feelings I don’t quite know what to do with yet. A place where I don’t have to have the answers or make sense of everything. I can simply let it all come out.

In so many ways, it’s just like our art journals.

I’m in a growing season right now, and if I’m being truthful, it’s also a hard season. So I suspect there will be a lot of writing, journaling, painting, and creating as I find my way through it.

But today, as I was writing, this sentence came out of me:

“My heart is open to whatever comes my way, even if it scares me.”

I sat with those words for a minute.

I’m not exactly the adventurous type! I like knowing what’s coming. I like feeling safe and comfortable. So those words surprised me.

But I couldn’t get away from them.

Maybe being open doesn’t mean we’re not afraid. Maybe it simply means we’re willing to keep our hearts open even when we don’t know what’s on the other side.

I’ll share more about that in the video, but right now, my art journal feels like an extension of my written journal. It’s another safe place to surrender, let go of the outcome, and allow whatever I’m carrying to tumble out onto the page.

So that’s what I did today.

I created my way through my emotions, one layer at a time. And as a little bonus, I got to dig into my enormous stash of collage papers and scraps and use up even more of them!

Sometimes we create because we have an idea.

And sometimes we create because we simply need a place to put what’s in our hearts.

Today was one of those days.

I hope you enjoy the process, give yourself permission to let whatever needs to come out find its way onto the page, and always know that you are loved!

Stencils used: These will be on sale this week

• Simple background 6 5×8
• Carved circle 1 5×8
• Petals 1 5×8
• Jumping through hoops 5×8
• Vintage pattern 2 5×8
• Dancing script lowercase 8×10
• Dancing script uppercase 8×10
• Retro pattern 1 8×10
• Old type text large 8×10