Customer Reviews

Inner Journeying Through Art-journaling: Learning to See And Record Your Life As a Work of Art

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If you are an Art therapist, then maybe this book is for you. If you are an artist, wishing to expand your creativity - this book will not be much help. I was expecting examples, excercises, and lots of visual stimulation, but was very much disappointed. The book is mainly all text, with very little visuals, and very technical, not user friendly at all. I sent it back. The cover looks very intriguing, but the content is flat.

There was a lot about this book that I really liked in spurring my on to more creativity but I was disappointed that there wasn't a more spiritual aspect to it. I do think it worth purchasing and would recommend it to other journalers for sure.

This is a very timely and insightful book. I have been waiting for this book for many years. Marianne has been able to put into very readable and meaningful terms the process of Art Journaling and it's benefits to the person using this process. The illustrations are exceptional and indicate with the examples that this is a process that works for many people. I have used it in my lifetime and am so happy to see it now in print and know that it will be very helpful for many people. It is great for personal insight and clarification as well as very helpful for professionals that are in the helping professions. This book will make a great gift for yourself and your loved ones. Be sure to buy this book.

Three books to help you jump into visual journaling: Fearless Creating: A Step-by-Step Guide To Starting and Completing Your Work of Art by Eric Maisel, Art Journals and Creative Healing: Restoring the Spirit Through Self-Expression by Sharon Soneff, Inner Journeying Through Art-Journaling by Marianne Hieb.

Inner Journeying suggests using the unfamiliar (crayon, cut paper, music, clay, dance, writing, paint, sewing, gluing, carving) and just begin, observe your output, what could this mean? identify an idea in your art, use that as a prompt to continue creating, observing, paying attention.

The practice of art refines self-awareness, honesty. The answers in art are not about other people, they are about the art maker. Visual journaling helps us learn to balance disparate passions (eg violin and football in The Prince of Tides) with solitude and attention. A too familiar, often used technique may obscure inner conflict with the gloss of fluidity from practice (eg formulaic author) whereas using unaccustomed blunt tools and the non-dominant hand, permits a peek at personal truth. Self-discovery is an option.

Not a how-to craft book, Inner Journeying is an exploration. Interrupt your reading to undertake the suggested exercises immediately. Spontaneous risk taking (no recipes or formulae) is like stripping emotions naked; observe what you revealed, ask what can this mean? that color, that shape, that musical phrase? self acceptance paves the way for artistic growth.

Reticence about journaling sometimes results from fear of exposure, however art journaling provides a medium for expression whose translation is available only to the artist, like calligraphic palimpsest.

Art and writing may be kept in separate journals, or on facing pages in the same journal. Art may raise questions, influence life direction, recognize loss, permit grief and mourning, reveal passions or dreams, encourage risk taking exploration.

Inner Journeying teaches cognitive reflection on spontaneous art, messages about oneself, listening for one's own voice and exploring meaning.

DVD to get creative juices flowing: 1000 Journals, view a second time with Director commentary. Documentary of San Francisco artist Someguy who in 2000 wondered what ordinary people would write, create in a blank book if one suddenly appeared out of nowhere and plopped into their lives. So he sent 1000 blank journals (in batches as he could afford them) into the world with his website 1000journals.com glued to the covers to return the art work when finished. Some were left in toilets, bars, on park benches, hiking trails, on trains, buses, planes. September 2003 (2years later) one journal returned. In 2007 film maker Andrea Kreuzhage pursued the 999 remaining journals and documented friendship, mourning, loss, regret and worldwide collaborative art making.

Thought provoking Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper, 2nd Edition: examples of actual ethical journals; identify what is important to you, and prepare to communicate that to those who may need to know you beyond your ability to speak.
Helpful companion reading Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things about the connection between artistic creativity and the tendency to hoard, which prevents living life.
A Different Kind of Luxury: Japanese Lessons in Simple Living and Inner Abundance biographies of 11 financially independent, self-sufficient artists who change direction, take risks, fail, regret, try again living on less than $4000/year.

DVD Departures addresses the possibility of apology, forgiveness, acceptance, letting go, self-awareness, affirming life even after death.

Inner Journeying guides self-inquiry: if you were to die tomorrow, is this the who you want to be (mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, artistically, psychologically, financially)? Who is important? If not you, then who? If not now, when?

Art therapy is used with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans to heal traumatic brain injury TBI, post traumatic brain disorder PTSD, depression to halt evolution into dementia (American Association for Advancement of Science Journal SCIENCE 29Jul2011 pp 206, 214-220).