Making a Travel Journal

I’ve been traveling for two months - to Ireland, followed by a long road trip through the Southwestern US. Now that we are home, it seems like we never left at times. However, because I made a sketchbook journal for each trip, I have a fabulous vehicle for reliving those journeys. I highly recommend making a journal while traveling. It can be mostly a scrapbook if you aren’t into drawing. Most of the drawings I did were of the gesture variety, done in 30 seconds or so, since I had a traveling companion and we were on the move most of the time. Some line drawings I enhanced in the evenings with watercolor, e.g of specific birds or landscapes. Whether you draw or not, make notes as you go, or take a little time to write notes each night to keep on track. In addition to notes and drawings, I added images clipped from park brochures, postcards, and left space for some of our own photographs to add now that we are home and can print them. Take a roll of double stick tape and scissors and you can create the journal as you travel.

Now it’s time to put away all the gear and go through the piles of junk mail, email, et cetera that accumulated while we were away. We avoided news and computers which added greatly to the quality of our vacation. Also it afforded a fresh perspective for looking at what occupies my time, space and energy. Remember Wabi-Sabi? Using the art materials I have on hand, and working in smaller formats to generate art that will occupy less space makes sense to me right now. My travel journal taught me that too. It doesn’t have to be big or complex to be personally meaningful.

Namaste
Amy

Add comment November 5th, 2007