If you struggle with ideas

You open your journal to a fresh blank page and think, “OK, here I go!” But nothing happens. Suddenly, the white surface staring back at you seems to mock you, almost telling you that you won’t be able to fill the page and make a worthwhile mark. Relax. It’s easy to get hung up when beginning a page. Even journal artists who have been journaling for a while hit snags. Sometimes you just need a little nudge. Some of the journal artists who contributed pages to this book offer starting suggestions and prompts a-plenty. Consider this a list of recipes to get you cooking in your journal: 

Ways to Start a Page:

• Write down one thing you can do today to make a difference. 

• Open a dictionary or a book, point at a word or phrase, and use it to launch a page. 

• Ponder an inspiring quote. 

• Find a magazine photograph of a person you don’t know, and conjure up a story about his or her life. 

• Use kids art supplies such as crayons, gold stars, ruled paper. 

• Start writing or sketching a fantasy of something you would like to see happen in your life. 

• Make a diagram of the house you grew up in. 

• Be inspired by dreams from the night before. 

• Describe your mood. 

• List some things that inspire you. 

• Describe your dream art studio.

Try Collage:

• Have you got pages in your journal you’re not crazy about? Why not glue bits of different papers on top of them, and let what is underneath peek through here and there, adding visual intrigue. Add paint to create more layers.

Try Lists:

• Write a list of creative tasks that need to be done, an artist’s to-do list. 

• List books you want to read. 

• List people you saw today. 

• List your top ten “desert island” songs.

Use a Trigger:

When you get stuck for a starting point, find a magazine. Any kind will do, but having a variety on hand is good. Thumb through the magazines, and scan the headlines for ads or articles. Here are some examples:

•“Get a Move On” Make lists of things you have to do for the day or for the week. 

• “Best Things in Life” Reflect on things you value or enjoy in life. 

• “What the Perfect Day Does For Your Spirit” Write about a day that was perfect or your idea of the perfect day. 

• “The World Will Not Fall Apart in My Absence” Focus on things you want to do or accomplish in your life, and write out personal goals. 

• “The Joy Is in the Journey” Write about a happy milestone in your life and how it made you feel, for example, the birth of a child, a personal accomplishment or award, or your marriage. 

Ask and Answer Questions: 

• How do you feel when you see signs of a new season emerging? 

• What rituals or traditions do you keep through the year? 

• How do daily tasks and common objects make you feel and why?

• What was good about today? 

• Why is this day important? 

• What should you note now, that in a year you will enjoy remembering? 

• What is a little nostalgic moment in your life? 

• Where were you ten years ago? Where will you be ten years from now? 

• What is your favorite color palette? 

• What are you grateful for? 

• Who is your hero? 

• Who needs good thoughts and energy sent their way? 

Fill in the Blank:

 In five years I’d love to be _________ 

In two years I’d love to be ________ 

Tomorrow I’d love to be ________ 

People say I am ________ 

I wish I were ________ 

I am happy when I am ________ 

From the book: Dawn DeVries Sokol "1,000 Artist Journal Pages". This wonderful BOOK  will help you