I have mentioned before the benefits of using a sketchbook or journal on a regular basis. I have several sketchbook/journals on the go, ranging from a watercolour book, one dedicated to en plein air, messy background journal and one for courses I do.
Each one has a unique voice and job within my creating zone, each one is special and exquisite with all the flaws.

I was gifted by my hubby a beautiful A4 journal last year and that has been my journal for doing grid creations.   I have a template I use with the option of four large grids or six smaller grids.  In this journal I experiment with colour, shapes, stamps, stencils, materials, mediums, designs and more.  Using the grid, I generally work on all of them at the same time.  Adding colour, subtracting colour, creating marks, removing marks and challenging myself to be brave and crazy.

These grids give me a library of experimentation with no expectation.  There are things in there I truly love and other parts I don’t.  Each grid or series of grids have a purpose, they are a reference library for future works.  I can look back for inspiration, I can see what worked and what didn’t work.  I can look at several grids and from those come up with an artwork I would like to produce. 

Grid work is also a great way to get the creative flow working if it just isn’t happening.  Because the grids are small, I can work on a few with only a ten or fifteen minute time frame.  This gives me the chance to be creative every day without having to allocate hours.

The sketchbooks and journals are precious to me and many don’t see the light of day, they are my safe place to experiment, have fun and practise.  They are similar to a diary with your innermost thoughts.  On occasions, I share a book with my class to show them how beneficial they are and what I use them for.  

The photo above is a sample from one of my sketchbooks/journal.

​Feel free to leave a comment below.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a community around me. Growing up in a small outer suburb in WA, I belonged to the church youth group, at school I was part of the Rotary club for juniors.  Being part of a community has always been important to me. I continued to build a community well into my adult life, including founding Connect Her Women's Business Network. A pesky little virus ended that prematurely. 

Community is where we come together to serve, through service, we then grow as individuals.  It creates an opportunity to learn, teach, experiment, develop and well-being. 
There is a certain joy in sharing knowledge, learning from others, trying new things and opening up growth opportunities, whilst building new connections. 

Recently, I visited a new community of creatives.  I was blown away by the diversity of artists, the acceptance of new people, the sharing of knowledge and the offering of genuine and authentic feedback. 

The artwork you see here came from a conversation at the beginning of the morning and led me to experiment on the day. It is completely different to what I normally produce, it was fun, it was exciting and most importantly, it was created in a safe environment. 

Communities can come in many forms from art classes, creative circles, and monthly paintouts to pizza and paint days.  Belonging to a community and developing relationships with other creatives is a surefire way to grow and expand your skills.  You never know what life brings!


Do you belong to a community or would you like to be part of one?  Comment below.