GUARD YOUR HEART ....

 

I came across this quote just as I was beginning to make journal pages again, and although I generally prefer to use my own words, I liked this saying enough to want to record it.  I've no idea where it came from but will attribute it properly if anyone can tell me.  I don't think its biblical, but I could be wrong.

I'm not truly back in the groove with the journalling yet, so began with a simple grey/blue circle on a strong pink background - you know how much I love pink!  Anyway, backgrounds do not need to be fancy.  This was done using bog standard acrylic paints from the hobby shop - again materials don't have to be posh or expensive either.

Then I put in my favourite face stamp - I have short dark hair so often use this one to represent myself.  Grabbed a few pieces of blue(ish) collage and I was away .... lost in that lovely zone where you just create for the sake of doing it.  I've missed that.

I like to put the words in before I fill too much of the space up.  You may notice also that I link my collage pieces together with a black line, always curved, rarely a straight edge.  It gives the random bits of paper some kind of unity and connectedness.

Can you tell that the picture below of the final page was taken in a different light - it makes the pink look completely different!  Lots more collage and of course the doodly bits I love so much.

I was sufficiently "lost in the moment" that I missed out a word in the smaller sentence, but just managed to squeeze it in.  If you do something like this its always possible to paint over it - I'd use gesso first - and do it again, but on this occasion I couldn't be bothered.  Never mind, I never said I was perfect did I?  You don't get to see my mistakes or the muddy messes I occasionally make ...

THE RIGHT PLACE?

I've been journalling again - not often, but now and then, and it feels very good.  In fact I feel stupid for forgetting how much it meant to me, but the last 9 months have been quite a journey.

So here we are, Himself is well and all tests clear, which is nothing less than wonderful.  Its taken this long to realise that now we can stop holding our breath and actually make plans for a future we weren't sure we'd have.  But the reality is that I find myself in a new town, knowing just two people, and needing to put myself out there and make friends.  That's how I was feeling when I made this page.

As you can see, nothing very complicated for my first page in months - just pink acrylic paint with some orange splodged over it and a bit of collage.  It actually stayed this way for a few days ....

Then I picked up a pen and a bit more collage (remember I was rusty from lack of practice).  I've always loved this little girl image, she reminds me not only of myself but our youngest daughter.  The words awkward and difficult come to mind .... and here it represents me feeling like I don't know how to begin.

I didn't add a lot more except the words I wanted to say.  Once I would have doodled all over the place and filled the page, but on this first foray back into journalling it felt finished at this point.

And I DID do something to move on - I went to a Pain Support Group and was made very welcome.  Its a beginning.