That used to be a saying when I was growing up. When someone was sitting silently, looking up as if they were deep in thought, we used to say, “a penny for your thoughts”. This meant that we would give them a penny to share their ponderings with us.
It seems that today many of us don’t take the time to have a penny’s worth of thought. No one slows down long enough to ponder anymore. But we should. So here at Create & Celebrate Art we are starting a new membership class to do just that. It is called Bible Art Journaling.
When I say to others that I am going to be teaching Art Journaling I get a “deer in headlights” look from the person I am addressing. Then I get that question, “What is Art Journaling?”.
Art Journaling is a two-part journaling technique. First, we journal what is on our mind, but we do a second part which is creating art to support our words and thoughts. This month on January 10th we will begin a Bible Art Journaling membership class. In this class I will teach Genesis chapter 1 from the Bible. I will give the students “word” prompts, and then we will do some mixed media art inside of our Journal Mixed Media pad.
I have taught this class two other times, and it is amazing how the students retain what we have studied in Genesis. I’ll give you an example:
In Genesis 1:1-2 it says, “…the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep…”
So, if I asked you to close your eyes, and think about what “without form, void, and darkness looks like”, what comes to your mind? OK. So let me add a twist. We know that the Bible says that God is light. So, if light begins to create where there is no form, void, and darkness, will the light shed some shadow upon this? Or will the light change the darkness to partial darkness? These are the things we ponder. Then we use different Art mediums (paint, pictures from magazines, chalk, colored pens, pencils) to create what we are thinking onto our page.
Our Art Journals will have written words, verses, and art to portray what we are thinking.
I challenge you to not only check out our Bible Art Journaling membership, but to also make “thinking” a priority this week. I am hoping that you make it a habit.
Happy New Year! Happy Thinking!