These are some of the questions that previous participants of my journaling method have asked. If you have additional questions you would like to ask, please list them in the "Comments" after this post, and I will happily answer them. Happy journaling everyone!
Is it ok to use watercolor paints or acrylic paints to make my backgrounds? Absolutely! You just want to control the amount of water you use. You don't want to saturate your paper so much that it tears. I've used both watercolors and acrylics in my journals. This paper can actually withstand quite a bit of water but remember the drying time is directly related to the amount of water saturation. If you want your pages to dry quickly, you need to use as little water as possible.
I don't get this "what do you see" when I look at my spread after the paint dries. What do you mean? When I say, "look at your page and tell me what you see", it's very loosely based on the old Rorschach test that's been used in psychology for years. It's also known as the Inkblot Test. Seeing specific imagery in otherwise abstract images can sometimes offer a clue as to what's going on in the subconscious mind.
Do I really need to journal every day? Let's face it. There are going to be days when the last thing on your mind is going to be journaling. It takes 30 days to turn an action into a habit, so I urge you to journal on as many of those first 30 days as you possibly can. If you only open up a new spread and write ONE word, that's journaling. You can always go back to the same page on the next day and complete a thought. If you don't feel like writing even one word, I suggest that you just "color" and work on the background for a new spread.
Oh, no! I forgot to tear out a page. Now what do I do? Stop sweating the small stuff! There are no RULES. What I have offered here are guidelines. Leaving a few extra pages in your composition notebook is not the end of the world. BREATHE! :o)
My spreads are so wrinkly. What can I do about that? Wrinkly, textured pages are the nature of this kind of journaling. Try to enjoy it!
I don't like my next spread. Is it ok to skip it or paint over it? My experience with the unliked and unwanted spread is that it's often the most important to work with. I would urge you to work with it. This is often times a perfect spread to go through your collection of words and images to see what might work. If need be, skip working on it for a week and come back to it.
Do you ever use journaling prompts or offer other ideas for journaling? Yes. I have many different exercises and activities to incorporate in your daily journaling. I will be posting these throughout the coming weeks and months.
