For an art journaler, I am terrible at writing things down! I'll get an idea while driving, or out with friends, and try to remember it....but then I forget everything except that I HAD a really awesome idea and now it's gone. Arg! Has this ever happened to you? I try to implement things if I'm near the studio, but sometimes, well...you're just NOT in the best place to work!

So I decided that this year, I was going to carry a journal with me and write everything down. Ideas, phrases, even images or inspiring collections of color! No more missing out or forgetting (my fibro-brain is terrible at remembering things). I dug out a Moleskine sketchbook I've had for a few years and only used a third of, and tossed it in my purse, ready to capture all the stuff my brain thinks up.

There are diagrams of projects or technique ideas, of course, but what I'm really thrilled about are the times when I see a pattern or image that I love -- that I'd usually try to remember for later -- and do a quick sketch. Working daily on the iPad has really made doing imperfect and spontaneous drawing so much easier, and I get lovely journal pages out of it!

This page was inspired by a sweater a woman was wearing in a TV show I was watching on Netflix. I adored the collar and colors, so I doodled it! And then just....kept going! Having a steady journal companion allows me to be creative whenever I'm struck with an idea, and just because I've drawn this once doesn't mean I can't do, say, a more involved journal page or painting of it later! Repetition's a great teacher, right?

What ideas have you lost? Why don't you join me in writing things down more; you'll quickly fill a journal with how inspiring life can be!

Materials Used: Gelly Roll black gel pen, Tombow markers, Copic Markers, Dylusions Ink, Moltow Paint Pens, gold Uni-Ball pen
(And yes, I usually have all these materials in my purse, just in case!)