Art journaling is often seen as a solitary project. When we get creatively stuck, we might look to Pinterest or to the blogs of our favorite mixed media artists for inspiration. What if we could find that same inspiration somewhere closer to home? Prompt 9 of the Stencilfied Journal project asks us to let another person stencil in our art journal. I asked my son to to be that person for me and it proved to be a fun and enlightening experience.

It is beneficial for you to let another person stencil in your art journal.

Asking my son to stencil in my art journal opened up the conversation about mixed media art. I have discussed it with my son before, and while he does love art, he has never seen a benefit to keeping a journal of his own. Stenciling inside mine sparked a bit of an interest for him. We both realized that art journaling doesn’t have to be a solitary act. I am hoping to invite some friends over for an afternoon tea and a bit of mixed media.

Sometimes, it can be hard to get started on a page. I allowed my son to choose any incomplete page in my journal to stencil on. In doing so, he helped me make one less creative decision. Taking a creative decision out of the mix can be a lot more freeing than it sounds. I had one less decision to make about the page design. It might actually be better to say that he completed one step of the creative process for me, enabling me to get on with the rest of the page.

The final pages are far from perfect. The shapes of the faces are not quite as I had hoped and I am not happy with the shading of the skin tones. Yet, I am still quite content. It was as though allowing my son to stencil inside my journal also gave me the ability to relax and expect less perfection from myself. I found that I was more willing to create quickly and with sure movements.

Now it is your turn to play. Relax and give permission for another person to stencil inside your art journal. If you need a bit of inspiration or motivation, stop by Tina Walker’s blog to see how she approached the prompt.   If you create something inspired by prompt 9, be sure to add a link to your project in the comments below.