Review: Put it on Paper: An Art Journaling Publication

Leslie at Comfortable Shoes Studio contacted me a little while ago to let me know she was having a giveaway to win the two first printed copies of Put it on Paper. Despite my giveaway radar, I had missed seeing this one, so I was really glad to have found out about it.

Put it on Paper is a quarterly publication devoted to art journaling in all its forms.
Mission: To promote and inspire the use of art journals.

(via Put it on Paper Facebook)

I was lucky enough to be able to check out Volume 1, Issue 2 of Put it on Paper. The funny thing is, I never would have thought twice about something that talked about art journaling - not because it's not interesting, but because I had no idea what art journaling really was or how one would to do it.

In swoops Put it on Paper.

I am not an artist. I'm pretty sure I have zero artistic skills. I'm not even good at journaling, because I never know what to write and most of the time, I regret writing what I've written because it doesn't feel reflective enough. This means art journaling has never even been an option for me. As I was reading the introduction to PioP, I found I kept rereading several lines that struck me.

My art journal pages hardly ever turn out the way that I expect. In fact, I hardly ever have an expectation in mind when I begin. Planning often gets in the way of creating. If you start with an image in your mind, you might not get past the starting gate.
- Moira Richardson

That's one of my problems right there! I imagine these awesome, elaborate pages, and know there's no way I could ever create them, so I just shy away from even trying.  Moira also says,

Everyone was a beginner once. Even the world's most amazing artists started off by making some crappy art.

I love this. I love knowing that I can start from scratch (literally, "creating" chicken scratch) but still become better and better, and one day, maybe even consider my "art" worthy.

PioP continues on to give advice on how to art journal - starting from the basics - and everything with a lot of encouragement, suggestions, and tips to art journaling. There's also simple guides to various media types you can use, and challenges you can try. This part is one of the most useful parts to me. I had no idea where to start. I wasn't even sure what art journaling was.

I have learned that art journaling is not just an act you engage in with some media and a journal. This is going to sound really cliché, but it's almost a way of life. The way you look at things during your day can inspire your journaling. Put it on Paper calls it "Live an Artistic Life". I love this idea.

Put it on Paper also includes product reviews - in this case, for the art journaling-appropriate Stillman & Birn sketchbooks. If you're like me, and need inspiration to start something (as opposed to being intelligent and using what you have), Leslie's review has totally sold me on Stillman & Birn. "These art journals were created with art journaling in mind," she says, and that's enough convincing for me.

In this particular issue, there is also an interview with  Chongolio, an incredible art journaler living in Hawaii. It's really neat to read about someone else's thoughts and feelings on art journaling. Jane also does a book review on "Journal Fodder 365".

Last but not least, Less chronicles her experiences with drawing faces. Drawing faces is something I could never even fathom doing, but I feel inspired to consider trying it.

There's a lot of information in this publication. At first, I was a little intimidated by reading it all. And then it occurred to me, just like art journaling, there are no rules. I don't have to read it all in one sitting! So I took my time and read it over a few days, section by section, and I got the most out of it that way. I even went back and re-read most of it leisurely.

I couldn't pick a favorite part of Put it on Paper. I liked it all for various reasons. It is well written and well organized, with generous eye candy. Everything flows well and there's so much useful information!

Price
Digital - $7.00
Print + Digital - $14.00

Check It Out
Artjournaling.ning.com

Putter Around Put it on Paper
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Overall
I'm so glad to have been given the chance to read Put it on Paper. I never would have thought an e-zine could be so encouraging and enlightening. If you have any interest in journaling, art, or both, Put it on Paper is well worth the $7.00 investment! $28.00 for four publications a year is pretty awesome and would make a great gift to yourself and anyone else in your life who is artistically or journal-y inclined!

I think it's a great piece of work. It has encouraged and inspired me to try art journaling! FINALLY! A way to use up my hundreds of pens and inks!. Thank you again Less for sharing Put it on Paper with me.