Living on the road is stressful. Creating art calms me. Learn how I packed for art on the road and how I’ve used art for my self care.
While traveling is exciting it can be alot of work and stress to move hotels every few days, especially with kids. Its alot to pack and unpack. The constant change is a bit stressful and the moving luggage is hard on the body. Trying to stay organized is a mind workout. Keeping track of everyone and everything (and we are a small family!) and making sure we have what we need is exhausting. Honestly Im not sure how long Ill be able to keep living like this. (Praying for direction and an answer soon!!)
Art has been one of my greatest forms of self care as well as something I really enjoy doing. I have always dabbled in lots of different art forms but the thing I have worked with the most over the last year or so is mixed media and art journaling. So when I prepared for this trip I knew I would need to pack some art supplies. Now I had already gotten in the habit of carrying a small travel journal and bag of supplies with me wherever I go. If I ever felt like I just wanted to sit and be creative for a minute at the park or in the coffee shop I could. I also used them during church – sermon notes are alot prettier in color!
So I had my basic supplies but I wanted to figure out a way to do a little more than just pencils and pens and washi tape. I knew I couldn’t pack gesso, texture paste, matte medium, all my brushes, all my acrylic paints, watercolor paints, gelatos, stencils, stamps, etc. It would be too much. So i narrowed it down to just a gluestick, watercolors, a few brushes, gelatos, my antiquing blending tool and ink, black posca, white gel pen, charcoal pencil, stabilo all pencil, and micron pens. I cut up a few small piece of water color paper, threw together a simple art journal (see pic), and grabbed a few other small journals I had going. Thats it.
I started recording our journey in the small travel journal with simple words and drawings. Its a cute way to keep track of where we have gone.
I also had the chance to do some collage with my kids. A lovely friend of ours sent us a beautifully illustrated children’s book of the States of America as well as some blank journals, one for each of us. We have collected magazines, newspapers, and brochures along the way and collaged pictures of our trip. So far we have a Florida page, a Texas page, and some Alabama. We have some catching up to do. For me this is a fun creative outlet. The kids love it and get so excited reminiscing about our trip through the images they find. I love that they will each have a personalized journal of the trip.
While all of this has been great I was still missing the mixed media process. So I picked up some scrapbook paper, some good quality watercolor paper and some Dollar Tree glue. I attempted my first project today and it. felt. great! And I was so impressed how well the glue worked for the laying down of papers as my first layer.
Now usually I would add more layers with gesso and texture paste and acrylics. But since I don’t have that I have to try new things.
A little more playing with what I have….Not sure how this will end up but remember its the process not the product!
Happy Trails!