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Art Therapy - Assembling your journaling supplies and finding time for yourself

Art has always played a major part in my life. Whether it be grabbing a sheet of printer paper and pen, some charcoal and wood or if I am really lucky I can find time for a brush and canvas, I have always used art both as a therapy and as a gauge of my mental health. I feel it is very important to find 1 hour a day to focus on your personal well being. I don't consider it selfish or negative. Our lives get so crazy and easily become of control that I find it an essential part of my emotional health and I am very lucky to have someone in my life that recognizes that.  

I find 20 minutes hour a day of uninterrupted time when I take lunch. I drive down to the river, and either grab my running shoes and zip around a quick 2.5km trail or I crank up the stereo and grab my travel sketch bag. I take this kit everywhere. It contains the essentials for my style of sketching which is not really fancy, is easy to transport and knows how to get the job done. I emphasize my style as this has taken me a long time to understand what that is. I think that my style is always evolving. I know how to draw,  and understand values, I can get through color theory, but finding MY style...wow that one is tough.

This art travel kit contains a blend of artist and student grade supplies, that gets the job done without breaking the bank.  Front left to right:

inexpensive sketchbook travel supplies for beginners
  •  Red watercolor pencil- I do a lot of portraits and find a neutral red doesn't complete when others colors are laid around it.   
  • Fine tip watercolor brush - for a little more detail
  • Charcoal pencil, soft lead encased in wood that easily blends and will give you a wide range of values.
  • Black water-soluble marker pen. A strong color that can be blended out with limitations.
  • Black permanent Sharpie marker, fine point. It provides strong permanent lines. 
  • Pigma pens in an array of nibs including the brush pen. Permanent fine tipped pens. 
  • Black gel roller pen. **my personal favorite. I love the way this cheap pen works. It will move just a little with the addition of water but doesn't get all crazy. 
  • White marker pencil. An alternative to a white gel pen.
  • White gel roller pen. I have a few and find this one works best for me.
  • A new addition to my kit is the watercolor fan deck. It may not be the best quality but this is just a sketchbook and as I mentioned earlier your travel kit should get the job done and is easily portable. check,check, and check. This deck comes with a water brush, mixing tray and a small sponge. Its perfect for my style. 
  • for back up I still have my Sucrets watercolor tin with a basic 6 color palette. ( a warm and cool of each of the primary colors) 
  •  travel size spritzer
  • napkins 
  • a hardcover sketchbook. I love this cheap sketchbook so much I grabbed 3. This one has signatures in both brown craft paper and off-white sketch paper. This paper does not hold up well to multiple layers but this will force you to lay it down right the first time. 

I usually only get a few minutes a day for art therapy and not everything I try will work out in 20 minutes and that is OK. The point of the exercise is to find time for you. It may not seem like a long time but anytime I can switch your brain from left to right seems to reset your mental state. So, where do you find your 20 minutes? What is in your mental health artist toolbox?




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