Back in January I joined Mixed Up Creative Academy’s free art journal course which offered a theme and a technique video each month. I chose to work in a larger size than normal – a portrait A4 page – per month. I made my own journal from thick greyboard so that I could chuck all sorts of media at it without it buckling. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year, the course was pulled due to lack of tutors, so the last three months became my own. Over the months, I found myself moving toward Bible verses and each page became an example of how Bible journaling can move off the Bible page. I present my Annus Covidis journal:

Reflections on a year of journaling

The year started with the theme ‘Opportunity’ and January was filled with optimism about what I would achieve this year. Then lockdown came along and closed The Studio, continued by Leicester’s local lockdown, another national lockdown and currently Tier 3 lockdown. There was a glimmer of hope partway through that I would be able to offer socially distant classes and I invested in hand sanitiser without looking at the price first (doh!), but it wasn’t to be.

At first, I took the opportunity to do some online courses and learn some new techniques, such as digitally restoring old photos, creating art journals in Photoshop and I played some more in 3D digital design. But I missed the groups and the momentum of preparing for each session and the chatting, and the optimism eroded away. I’m nervous that some Studio guests will not return after effectively being away for at least a year. Socially distant groups will reduce my capacity from eight to four guests a session which inevitably will change group dynamics and increase the number of evenings I’ll be working.

Which is why I was grateful for my monthly art journal pages. They were something to work on when work was an effort to do. They injected reassurance gained from reading and reflecting on God’s Word as I worked. And they provided a sense of achievement I wasn’t really getting from anywhere else on the bleakest days of the lockdown.

So it came to pass that I completed the art journal, stood back and took satisfaction from it. And it’s given me the thought that I, too, could perhaps consider tutoring an art journal/Bible journaling class online next year. What do you think? Something you’d be interested in? Comment below and let’s see what 2021 brings 🙂