screenshot of examples of Eldon’s journals

Dan Eldon‘s process of journal making process was very inspiring for me to look at. I am already a big believer of the benefits of journaling, both in a visual arts class and in general, but I have never been amazing at it. Eldon has this freedom to his journal pages, which I envy.  I have often been afraid to feel a page completely in a journal with something other than text. He uses text, photos, calling cards, objects, drawing. Basically, anything he could get his hands on. The collage of anything and everything that he uses is not only stunning and engaging to look at, but also a wonderful representation of how journaling can be used in many different ways.

As a chronic doodler, I cannot help but draw in the margins, or often, all over my own journal pages and notes. You can see from my notes of our first day of classes that I am often drawing while listening. It’s something I used to get in trouble for as a young student, but I soon learned was a whole part of my learning process.

In my past Visual Arts education I have had several instructors who rave about the benefits of journaling for an art class. And I can’t hep, but agree with them. Not only is journaling a great way for students to get creative casually, but it is also a fantastic way to plan out projects from beginning to end. For example, here are three different journals (and images of the final products) that I had to make for a course I did a few years back.

There were more pages of journaling for each of these assignment, but for the purpose of this, I am just including the main/most exciting bits. All three of this assignments were very different, and took a lot of planning. The Journal was not only a great way for me to stay on task, and get my many creative ideas on paper, but it was also the best way for my instructor to keep up with what me and my many peers were working on.

In the same way, I intend to use journaling in my own classroom. I have observed different teachers who use daily sketch book assignments as a way of journaling, but I like the idea of giving a bit more freedom to the process. I think an interesting plan would be to have student maybe do a two page journal spread every week. Probably using time first for thing in class to work on it. This entry can be anything. A collage like Eldon seemed to prefer. Perhaps a visual poem, or a multimedium drawing using techniques learned in class that week. Or even a fully realised and inked drawing. Whatever the students are interested in that week, they can reproduce on a page.

And then there would be the assignment reflections. These again, should be done in whatever way the students like best, as long as there is clear planning shown. This way I can engage with the students creative process as the work through whatever it is they’re creating.

This short of activity was missing in my high school art classes. I think I would have benefited from started out a journaling habit earlier on in my visual arts educations because I still think I have a long way to go, myself.