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Bye Bye Gremlins

Getting Rid of the Gremlins in My Head Through Art Journaling with Carolyn Dube

They were screaming. They were shouting.  There was stress.  Surprisingly,  there was no art happening.  I had a major infestation of gremlins that brought my creativity to a halt.

Getting Rid of the Gremlins in My Head Through Art Journaling with Carolyn Dube

 

I had enough of these gremlins yelling at me.  Time for them to go.

 

 

 

I decided the best way to get rid of those gremlins was to create without thinking.  When I get stuck in my head and spend too much time thinking that seems to be an invitation for the gremlins to come in with their harsh negativity.  So, my answer- no thinking.  In this video, you will see how I start slapping things down.  I had to trust that it would be okay if I made something ugly.

Getting Rid of the Gremlins in My Head Through Art Journaling with Carolyn Dube

I started with an art journal page that just felt yucky to me.  No matter what I did with this page, it couldn’t be any worse in my mind.  I pulled papers from my scrap boxes, the leftovers from other artistic endeavors.

I challenged the gremlins. I ignored the gremlins.  The gremlins got bored with me and left.  With them gone I could hear the soft whispers of my muse.

 

 

 

Here’s the finished art journal page to remind me that when the thoughts in my head make me feel weak, feel scared, feel inadequate that it is the gremlins.  When I hear my muse I feel stronger, more creative, and joyful.  So much more fun to play with my muse!  Do the gremlins ever visit you?

 

Getting Rid of the Gremlins in My Head Through Art Journaling with Carolyn Dube

Links Mentioned in the Video

Sparks of Art-spiration – click here to sign up for my newsletter to get the monthly Spark of Art-spiration delivered to your inbox.

Use Your Words Free Workshop

Supplies Used

Door Stencil printed with the Gelli Plate (bits of color with PanPastels)

Stabilo Pencil     Catalyst Blade     Blickrylic Gel Medium

Stabilo Pencil 5 Reasons I love Catalyst blades when painting by Carolyn Dube Blickcrylic Gel Medium

 

 

 

Linking up to Inspire Me Monday, Make It Monday, Anything But a Card (using up old supplies), Creative Every Day, Glue It Tuesday, Create Daily, and  Be Inspired and Be an Inspiration.

 

{ 30 comments… add one }

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  • Marja May 26, 2013, 4:01 pm

    Marvelous again Carolyn. Beautiful all the material together.
    lovely greet
    Marja

  • Kay Wallace May 26, 2013, 5:20 pm

    Love your journal page, Carolyn, but loved even more watching it come together in your video! Yes, I, too, am visited periodically by the “you can’t” gremlins–which, generally, means I am trying to hard and need to step back and just let it happen, just as you have done here. The freeing part of art journaling (over my methodical scrapbooking) is not having a plan, not knowing where I am going, and never knowing where I will end up! My must usually must tap me on the shoulder and say, “Done!” Thanks for today’s inspiration!!

  • Corrine May 26, 2013, 6:27 pm

    Love that explosion of color and Jessica’s stencil door in those pinks and purples. Cute scissors……I must have been channeling you because I painted up a storm today in all kinds of brightness too. Were you send out brain waves!!! xox

  • Paula - Buenos Aires May 26, 2013, 7:03 pm

    That´s it Carolyn! Show them the door! Bye Gremilins. 🙂

  • Wanda Hentges May 26, 2013, 7:16 pm

    Oh, boy, do the gremlins like to visit me!!! I am so bad at overthinking so much of the time!!! I am improving (sometimes)!! It’s so great to hear that even you can have this problem!!!!

  • Jessica Sporn May 26, 2013, 7:22 pm

    Love the explosion if color on this page. No wonder those gremlins fled – they can’t stand the brightness of your creativity. This page is gorgeous and I love all your words and that pink door. 😉

  • Cynthia May 26, 2013, 7:45 pm

    Yeah, I have gremlin problems too. I like how you defeat them! Beautiful page–the layers are gorgeous!!

  • Diana May 26, 2013, 8:01 pm

    Inspiring!

  • April Cole May 26, 2013, 8:06 pm

    Wonderful post!!
    ** love the video, thank you for sharing the process 🙂
    Gremlins, that is a tuff one… glad it can be overcome by some color & paint… YAY! ~xx

  • Glenda Hoagland May 26, 2013, 10:52 pm

    This post was just what I needed today. I too have been struggling with gremlins and you have the perfect cure. Thanks so much. I just love not only your finished page, but also the process,
    .

  • Boo May 27, 2013, 1:03 am

    Your page is wonderful. I love all the color. Even better than your page is your attitude. Thank you so much for filming this process and talking about the gremlins. We all have them from time to time. What a great way to evict them.

  • Cheryl McKenney May 27, 2013, 7:51 am

    What a wonderful way to start the day! This has been the best 20 minutes of computer time that I have done in ages! I love how your page evolved, taking on a life of its own! Thank you for sharing this wonderful journey! I picture all of us who have had the pleasure of viewing this page as dancing along and waving bye-bye to those gremlins!

    I am inspired….I have a couple of stagnant journal pages that needed this! Now my muse’s voice can be heard! Thank you so much!

  • Sarah May 27, 2013, 10:30 am

    This is so true for all of us I think – the gremlins may attack but we can move them on also. A little creativity and a bit of stubbornness can go a long way 🙂

    Thanks for linking up!

    Sarah @ A Cat-Like Curiosity

  • Judy Shea May 27, 2013, 10:59 am

    Bye Bye Gremlins and HELLO BEAUTIFUL, COLORFUL COLLAGE!!! What a transformation.. it’s a beautiful day here and the color of the sun matches your colorful page. Gremlins get in us when we have so much going on… they say..”hey, she’s not paying attention, let’s get her now”. You have so much going on.. ending school, daughter graduation and heading to college (I almost typed “collage” lol). Lots to focus on… but it’a ALL GOOD.. and so are you.

  • Julia S-W May 27, 2013, 3:41 pm

    The colour is beautifully full on and I love it! I love how you work through your pieces – just soooo creative. Thanks for joining us at Anything But A Card this time. Juliax

  • Raine May 27, 2013, 5:11 pm

    I thoroughly enjoyed your video! Sometimes I think I have a squadron of gremlins flying around my head, just mocking me and making me feel “less than.” Now I have a weapon to use against them! Thanks for arming me!

  • Diane May 27, 2013, 6:43 pm

    Love the process and the final product! Very creative and therapeutic! Great stuff!
    Found you on IMM hop. I do an art therapy column, check it out!
    Diane
    http://treasuringgrace.blogspot.com/2013/05/making-whole-healing-through-art-who-we.html

  • Gail May 27, 2013, 8:09 pm

    Oh those gremlins can be nasty little buggers, and they’re cowards anyway, always running away when the muse start whispering. Glad you took care of them with such a wonderful page.

  • aimee May 28, 2013, 8:00 am

    yep!!

    love the pages!

  • Rinda May 28, 2013, 11:17 am

    Gorgeous colors – definitely enough to chase the gremlins away!
    Rinda

  • Deborah Weber May 28, 2013, 8:40 pm

    What a great way to send those gremlins packing, and now you have a perfectly wonderful colorful reminder of how to quickly banish them again if they dare show up.

  • Margaret A (Granmargaret) May 29, 2013, 2:10 am

    Lovely work. I am glad the gremlins went away.
    My gremlins are very quiet, don’t say anything just move things when I am not looking and make me waste hours looking for them.
    I came over from Make it Monday.
    Have a good day

  • Ruth May 29, 2013, 5:52 am

    Wow this is wonderful, so bright and colourful, saw you on MiM, gorgeous creation
    Ruth x

  • Maria May 29, 2013, 7:50 am

    Absolutely wonderful!!

  • Andria May 29, 2013, 9:39 am

    Great transformation! Thanks for sharing your process for chasing the gremlins away, since they obviously tend to go door-to-door and hit all of us once in awhile. I love the colors and “busy-ness” of your final page.

  • Marjie Kemper May 29, 2013, 12:07 pm

    SO vibrant! Love all the symbolism and you know I love a good kick to the gremlins.

  • storybeader May 29, 2013, 8:24 pm

    the scissors are so cute! When I feel uncreative, I just leave things alone, and do something else. Like read – my escape from everything else! {:-Deb

  • Maria McGuire May 30, 2013, 12:18 am

    I ABSOLUTELY love this!!!! You kick those suckers out! Vibrant, from your heart and the PERFECT words to go with it!

  • Sandy How June 1, 2013, 11:58 am

    Great colours and I love that door, thanks for linking up with Make It Monday this week.
    Hugs,
    Sandy DT

  • Maisie Moonshine June 9, 2013, 4:18 am

    WOW – fantastic, love you use of colour and your creative freedom – WHAT A WAY to banish those gremlins! MMx