HOW TO USE RITUALS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR ART-MAKING & JOURNALING MORE DEEPLY
the way in which you create in your art journal could have a bigger impact on your well-being than what you create in your art journal
“WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY DO” ARISTOTLE
what is a ritual?
A ritual is a set series of actions that you perform regularly, meaningful acts you carry out with intent. A ritual should embody what matters to you most by putting your values into practice. Rituals often signify transition points in a persons life and this is the connection I am fascinated with most when it comes to journaling rituals. To me, journaling is a constant transition, continual discovery and evolving of the self. Facilitating, honouring and celebrating this with ritual seems the perfect addition to my journaling practice.
MY JOURNALING RITUAL LOOKS LIKE THIS
My ritual starts at the coffee machine. Always! I grab my favourite mug, make a hot coffee and begin quietening my mind. I move into my art room, coffee on my (often messy) desk, I turn on some music and begin to have a quick tidy up (starting with a tidy up may seem like a chore, not a nourishing ritual but I’ll share why it is important below). I light my candles, choose an intention or affirmation card from my card decks and begin to mindfully browse through my art supplies, setting aside materials I feel drawn to and putting them in a special box or tin, really feeling into what I want to create with today. When I feel ready, I begin.
This might seem like a simple ritual, and most rituals are, but what is important is that I do these things, that I continue to train my brain and prepare my mind for what is to come.
Wellbeing benefits of creating a ritual
The brain is a habitual organ, it loves consistency and routine. Thanks to the most ancient part of our brain - the amygdala - our fight or flight response is activated when we operate in a state of uncertainty (hello stress). Creating a routine gives the brain a sense of control and supports the mind in relaxing and opening into new ideas and thoughts, a focus on the present, rather than worrying about what might happen in the future.
In our ever-changing, fast-paced world, simple routines and rituals have the power to keep us grounded, feeling safe and focused. In a University of Toronto study, participants who performed a ritual before completing a task exhibited less anxiety and sensitivity to personal failure than when they completed the task without first performing the ritual. Although it’s not exactly clear how, according to Andrew Newberg, the associate director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, rituals lower cortisol, which in turn lowers heart rate and blood pressure and increases immune system function.
Creating a ritual around your journaling will put your mind in the right place to get the most benefit from the practice. It can be as simple as choosing the same time and place each day and using the same tools, your ritual will probably evolve with you over time.
It’s incredible to think that the way in which you art journal (the ritual you create around it) and not just what you create in your art journal could have such a big impact on your life.
Here are some key points to consider as you begin to build your own ritual
YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE
Your physical space is important because your physical space affects your mental space, take some time to think about how you can make the space where you create ‘feel’ the way you need it to. Do you want it to feel, inviting and inspiring, cozy and safe or maybe uncluttered and minimal? What can you bring into or remove from your space to achieve this?
I mentioned at the beginning that part of my ritual is to have a quick tidy up, I enjoy this part of the process as it sets the scene for the time ahead, I often discover bits of ephemera or materials that I want to create with as I start tidying away too, which sparks inspiration. Starting with a clear space gives me the mental space I need to get in the zone and create with intention.
ENGAGING YOUR SENSES
Part of my art journaling ritual is mindfulness, to be fully present during this time, to support me in doing this I engage each one of my five senses. Grounding yourself in the present moment is a powerful self-soothing technique, bringing your mind home to your body, allows you to very quickly reduce anxiety and overwhelm. For me, engaging my senses looks something like this: a hot drink (taste), pens with quotes on and covered journals (touch), an intention from a card deck (sight), music (sound), incense or candles (smell).
Throughout my journaling time, I pay attention, I pay attention as I create, I am not thinking about the shopping list or laundry waiting for me, I tune right in, to the smell of the paint, the feel of the pen scratch, the noises of the pencil across the page, the textures, the shapes, the colours. If I feel myself becoming distracted by the noise of life again, I will simply start writing 5 things I can see, hear, taste, smell and touch to ground myself again.
What inspires you?
Surrounding yourself with items that inspire you, light you up, motivate you, spark something within you, items that have meaning, history, that hold stories, that represent a future goal etc, is an important part of a journaling ritual.
My desk space holds books, crystals, inspiring quotes, cards from family, feathers, shells collected from far away home, these things simultaneously comfort and inspire me. Setting up an area in your creative space with your ‘treasures’, kind of like an altar, and checking in with that space while you create, can have a soothing and effect on your soul.
SETTING INTENTIONS
Setting intentions is an integral part of my journaling practice. As with most things in life, if there is purpose and intent behind an action the more likely the desired outcome or benefits are to be gained.
Intentions guide our thoughts, actions and attitudes and this is key to a deeper journaling practice, an intention is like a map of where you want to go. Where do you want your journaling time to take you?
I like to pull a card from a card deck to use for setting intentions, I ponder the words on the card as I start tidying my space, the cards inspire an intention for me to explore further during my journaling. (In my free class, you can see my process of creating a mindful journal page from an intention I set using a card from my card deck.)
Incorporating rituals into your journaling time can make your journal feel like a place to escape to instead of ‘another thing to do today’.
Do you have any rituals that you carry out during your art journaling time? Share them in the comments below and let’s inspire each other!
Peek over my shoulder and watch my art journaling rituals in real life in my free class and learn how to start your first (or next) creative journal with a focus on mindfulness and self-care. Enrol below.
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