Art journaling doesn’t have to just happen in an art journal.  It can happen on say…a picnic table.  It’s the same type of play, just on a bigger scale and I still consider it art journaling.

It all started with the yellow picnic table.  Notice the spray paint over spray on there?  That was an Oops – an Outstanding Opportunity Presenting Suddenly.  It went from being all pretty yellow to having a dirty looking top.

I like to paint and art journal while sitting at the table.  While stuck on a canvas, I began to fixate on that spray paint stain on the table.  One thing led to another, and then I was just messing around on the table with paint.

Circles covered the top in no time at all!  But I wanted more layers. This really is just like art journaling just not in an art journal.

What paints am I using?  A combination of little tubs of sample paints from Home Depot and my regular acrylics.  When I was all finished, I sealed it all with a UV sealer and protector from the hardware store.

If you’ve seen much of my play, you probably knew there would be some scribble writing.  I went around the circles with high flow paint in a fine liner.  I am very impressed with how it has help up to the outdoors!

The seats needed some color too.  Can’t leave them out!  I stenciled my Jumbo Vintage Alphabets A-P and Q to Z  randomly around.

Thanks to the Oops that marred my yellow table, I ended up with a far more colorful table to enjoy the outdoors.  I love a good Oops!

Being vulnerable can hurt but when I have a way to process the feelings, it hurts less.  Whether I am working in an art journal or on a canvas or on a wood panel, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that I am creating.  There is something magical for me when I get paint on my fingers.  As I played, I was so grateful for the message that was revealed to me about vulnerability.

Life can be amazing and life can be painful.  It was one of those painful days thanks to a family squabble, a disagreement, okay…a battle.  Even when everyone means the best, there can be hurts, especially with family.  We worked it all out (we always do) but the hurt was still there and I wanted the hurt to hurt less. Who doesn’t?  Thanks to a little creative play that helped me put it all in perspective, it did hurt a lot less.

Watch Using Art to Heal a Hurt on YouTube.

Do you use art to help you heal?  What’s your go-to way for making the hurts less painful?

Supplies Used

• Uplifting Words stencil
• Unconnected Circles stencil 
• wood panel from Walnut Hollow (the exact one I used is not in stock, but this one is dang close to it)
• acrylic inks
• various acrylic paints