Journal For Artistic Expression - Why Your Creative Tools Can Make or Break Your Artistic Expression Journey

https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-artistic-expression

Struggling to express your inner artist? You're not alone. We've all felt that creative spark only to watch it fizzle when faced with a blank page or inadequate materials. Today we're peeling back the layers on artistic journaling – not just as a hobby, but as a transformative practice that can unlock profound creative growth and emotional well-being.

The conversation begins with a hard truth: the tools we use matter. When inspiration strikes and your pen bleeds through paper or a page buckles under light watercolor, that creative momentum dies instantly. We explore how journals specifically designed for artistic expression, with features like 120 GSM wood-free paper, dashed lines for gentle guidance without constraint, and thoughtful organization systems, remove these barriers and create a sanctuary for your creative voice.

But artistic journaling goes far beyond quality materials. We share personal stories of creative transformation, practical techniques to overcome blank page paralysis, and how mixed media experimentation can lead to unexpected breakthroughs. From Emily's journey of building artistic confidence through daily journaling to practical strategies like themed pages and layering techniques, this episode provides both inspiration and actionable insights.

Perhaps most compelling is our discussion of how artistic journaling serves as a powerful tool for mental well-being. By creating a private space to process emotions visually rather than just intellectually, this practice becomes a mindful escape from daily stress, a record of personal growth, and ultimately, a trusted companion in your creative life.

Have you been searching for a consistent creative outlet? Consider how an artistic journal might help you document your unique journey, one page at a time. What stories would your journal tell about your evolution as a creative person?

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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.

For More Info on LeStallion, check out:
https://lestallion.com/

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right.
Hey there, fellow deep divers,you know you're here because you
like to cut through the noiseand get right to the good stuff,
and that's exactly what we'redoing today.
We're going deep, really deep,into the world of artistic
journaling, figuring out why itmatters, how it helps us unlock
those creative energies and howthe tools we use can actually
make a real difference.
We've got some really coolinsights to share, especially

(00:22):
when it comes to journals thatare specifically designed with
artistic expression in mind.
Like you know, we've all heardof those Lestallion journals,
right?
So, yeah, today's mission tofigure out how we can use a
journal to unleash our innerartists and figure out how to
navigate those little roadblockswe all hit, and maybe even pick
up a few practical techniquesalong the way.
I've even got a story I thinkyou'll connect with.

(00:44):
I'll share it a bit later.

Speaker 2 (00:46):
Awesome.
Yeah, I think for a lot of usthere's this draw to expressing
our inner world visually, youknow, experimenting with
different artistic styles ormaybe just documenting our
creative journey in a visual way.
Artistic journaling reallyoffers a pass for that.
It's like a personal haven,your own private studio where

(01:09):
you can play with sketches,written thoughts and any
artistic impulse that comes up.
It sort of naturally becomesthis living record of your
creative path, showing you howmuch you've grown and sparking
new ideas for what you might donext.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
All right, let's get down to the nitty gritty here.
So one of the first things thattrips people up not just with
art, but with anything creativeis when they're working with
tools that just don't quite cutit.
It's like we've all been there,right, you're in the zone, an
idea sparks, you put your pen topaper, or maybe even start a
light watercolor wash, and then,bam, the ink bleeds through or
the page is so thin it feelslike it'll rip if you look at it

(01:39):
wrong.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
I mean it?

Speaker 1 (01:40):
can totally kill your creative flow.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Totally wrong.
I mean, it can totally killyour creative flow Totally, and
that's exactly why choosing theright notebook is so important.
A lot of people already knowabout the stallion journals, and
they were created with thosefrustrations in mind.
They use this thick 120 GSMwood-free ivory paper, which
basically means you get asurface that can handle pretty
much anything you throw at it,even light watercolor, without
without that dreadedbleed-through.
It really gives you the freedomto experiment without worrying

(02:07):
about messing up the page or thenext few pages.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
And it's not just about the paper, is it?
I've noticed Listallionjournals use these dashed lined
pages.
Seems like a pretty intentionaldesign choice.
What's the thinking behind that?

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, it's all about finding a good balance.
So you get this subtlestructure, a sort of gentle
guide for layouts or even formixing text with your visuals.
But it's not as limiting ashaving a fully aligned page can
be.
It just supports that morenatural, free flowing creativity
that's so important forartistic journaling.
They've also thought aboutpracticality.
You know a durable, soft fauxleather cover so you can take it

(02:42):
with you easily.
And then there's that reallyuseful back pocket.
You can stash little bits ofinspiration in there.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Oh, back pockets in a notebook, those are the best
you know, those little scraps ofpaper, maybe a sticker you love
, or even a little photo thatgives you an idea.
Perfect for that.
And they come in both softcover and hard cover, right,
that handy A5 size.
I think.
I remember seeing some of thecolors, like Arejoa, Ash Gray,
black and Grano Cocoa Brown forthe soft covers, and then those

(03:07):
classic black, faux leather andclassic brown for the hard
covers.
Lots of choices to fit yourstyle, definitely.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Now let's move beyond the physical tools for a minute
.
Let's talk about some of thosemental blocks that can pop up
with artistic journaling, thatblank page staring back at you,
feeling stuck creatively, oreven being afraid to mess up and
somehow ruin the whole notebook.
These are all totally normalthings to feel.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
For sure.
I have this cousin who lovessketching and she got this
beautiful, expensive sketchbookonce.
It sat on her desk for ages.
She told me later she feltalmost frozen by those perfectly
white pages.
Like her first mark had to beworthy of the book or something.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
That feeling of intimidation is really common
and prompts can be a good way toget over it.
You know resources on artisticjournaling will often have great
suggestions to get you started,maybe sketching a C you see
right in front of you usingcertain colors to show how
you're feeling, or evenresponding visually to a line
from a song or a poem you like.
These prompts can help youbreak through that initial

(04:04):
resistance and get your creativejuices flowing.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Makes sense.
You're not pressured to come upwith a masterpiece from the
get-go, you're just respondingto a suggestion.
And speaking of, I noticed thatListallion journals have
numbered pages and a table ofcontents already set up.
Super useful, especially asyour journal starts filling up
with ideas.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh, absolutely Think of it this way.
As your artisting journal grows, it becomes this treasure chest
of all your creativeexplorations and thoughts.
Treasure chest of all yourcreative explorations and
thoughts.
But without some organization,trying to find that one sketch
you did months ago can feel likesearching for a needle in a
haystack.
Having those numbered pages andthe table of contents lets you

(04:44):
bring order to your creativeprocess.
You can easily find things frombefore, see how your skills
have developed over time.
It adds this element ofintentionality which I think is
really valuable.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yeah, I get that.
It turns your journal from justa bunch of random sketches into
a real visual diary of yourartistic journey.
It's all connected.
The material we have also talksabout using mixed media as a
way to spark fresh ideas.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Right, don't limit yourself to just one type of
material.
Experiment with addingdifferent textures like washi
tape, bits of fabric or evendried leaves.
Or try combining differentdrawing tools, and having that
high quality paper in alistallion journal makes all the
difference.
You can experiment freelywithout worrying about ruining
the page or having things bleedthrough.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
Okay, so we've talked features.
But you know what they sayFeatures tell, stories sell.
So let's imagine how some ofthese features might play out in
someone's actual artistic life.
Take the thick paper, forexample.
Now I get my cousin'shesitation with that blank page.
But I also have this friend,liam, who was super excited to
try adding some light watercolorto his notebook.

(05:42):
The paper was so thin thecolors just bled through and
ruined like several pages,totally killed his enthusiasm
for experimenting withwatercolors.
Having a listestallion journalwith that thick 120 GSM paper
would have changed everythingfor him.
He could have explored withoutthat worry holding him back.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Yeah, exactly, it takes away a big obstacle and
just lets you have a more fluidand enjoyable experience
creatively.
What about those dashed lineswe talked about?
Imagine someone who feelsstifled by those solid straight
lines about.
Imagine someone who feelsstifled by those solid straight
lines, someone who wants tosketch more organically but
still likes having a subtleguide for notes or borders
around their art.
The dashed lines are like aperfect middle ground Structure,

(06:21):
but without squashing thatfeeling of creative freedom.
I can picture someone finallyfeeling confident enough to add
their thoughts to their visualideas, something they might have
avoided if the notebook wasjust lined.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
And those numbered pages with the table of contents
.
Oh man, I've had those momentswhere I'll jot down this amazing
idea on a random scrap of paperor in a notebook and it just
vanishes, poof, like the ideadisappeared into thin air.
Having a system built right in,like those numbered pages and
that table of contents, would bea game changer.
No more frantically searchingthrough old notebooks trying to

(06:53):
remember that one fleetingthought.

Speaker 2 (06:55):
Absolutely.
It's about creating a systemyou can trust for all those
creative thoughts and youwouldn't think it, but that
little back pocket can be souseful.
Think about someone whocollects little things that
inspire them.
Maybe a postcard with a colorpalette they love, a small photo
that sparked an idea, or even aquote they cut out from a
magazine.
The back pocket in a Lestallionjournal is perfect for keeping

(07:17):
those little treasures safe andeasy to find whenever they need
a boost of inspiration.

Speaker 1 (07:22):
It's amazing how these little details can make
such a big difference in how weexperience journaling.
Speaking of personal journeys,we have Emily's story.
She's an aspiring artist andusing a Lestallion journal for
artistic journaling was a bigpart of her creative growth.

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Emily's story is a perfect example of how all these
features work together.
She really wanted to becreative, but she was
overwhelmed by life and justfelt disorganized artistically.
The design and the quality ofthe Lestallion journal really
spoke to her, and setting thatsimple goal of creating just one
page a day, using those crompsto overcome that initial blank

(07:57):
page fear, was how she builtmomentum.
Those dashed lines gave her thestructure she needed without
making her feel boxed in.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
It's amazing how her journal became this mosaic of
her creative journey.
I can just picture those pagesfilled with all these different
ideas and explorations, and it'sreally cool that she
specifically mentioned howLestallion's design and the
paper quality helped her findher artistic voice Really shows
how the right tools can make adifference.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Totally.
They take away those physicallimitations and let you focus on
expressing yourself.
Now the resources we've lookedat also offer some really
practical tips for gettingstarted or taking your artistic
journaling to the next level,like we talked about, mixed
media, which is totally doablewith the thick paper you get in
Lestallion journals.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
Yeah, for sure.
It's like having permission togo wild and not worry about
ruining anything.
They also talk about theimportance of textures.
You know, using things likewashi tape, little scraps of
fabric or even natural thingslike pressed flowers Adds
another dimension to yourjournal entries.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
Definitely it's not just visual anymore.
It engages your sense of touchtoo.
Creating themed pages isanother cool suggestion.
Dedicating sections of yourjournal to specific things, like
maybe, gratitude reflections,dream interpretations or even
visual responses to specialmemories, helps you focus your
journaling and can lead to somepretty cool self-discoveries.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
Layering techniques sound interesting too, like
putting different materials ontop of each other.
You know, text drawings,stickers creates depth and
visual interest.
And, of course, just the basicpractice of sketching freely,
without worrying about beingperfect, and using those prompts
when you hit a creative wall.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
All these techniques, combined with a solid notebook
like a Lestallion journal, canhelp you build a really
fulfilling and consistent artpractice.
And we can't forget about themental health side of it.
Artistic journaling can be apowerful way to express your
emotions.
It gives you a private, safespace to process your feelings
and clear your mind.
Focusing on something creativecan be a mindful escape from

(09:55):
daily stress.
You can process things visuallyinstead of just intellectually,
which can lead to a differentkind of understanding and
release.

Speaker 1 (10:03):
That's so important.
It's not just about makingpretty art.
It's about using art as a toolfor self-discovery and
processing emotions, connectingwith yourself on a deeper level.
And as you keep working withyour artistic journal, the
benefits just keep growing.
You see your creativityblossoming.
You have a real record of yourartistic journey.
It can help you relieve stress,and looking back at old ideas

(10:23):
can inspire whole new projects.

Speaker 2 (10:26):
For sure, and the features we talked about in the
Stallion Journals, the ribbonbookmark to easily find your
page, that back pocket forkeeping inspiration close, even
the way the soft cover feels inyour hand.
They all make the wholeexperience more enjoyable and
ultimately more sustainable.
It really becomes a trustedcompanion in your creative life.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
So, bringing it all together, it's pretty clear that
having a well-designed journal,especially one made with
artistic expression in mind,like those Lestallion journals,
can be a huge asset.
It's not just about having aplace to create.
It's about having a space thatencourages you to experiment,
helps you stay organized and,ultimately, helps you find your
own unique artistic voice.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Exactly.
It's an invitation to explore,to document and to grow
creatively.
So if you're listening andyou've got that creative spark
or maybe you've been strugglingto find a consistent outlet
think about how having adedicated artistic journal could
help you.

Speaker 1 (11:18):
And on that note, here's something to think about.
What stories could your ownartistic journal tell?
What would it say about yourjourney of self-expression and
creativity?
Think about the power ofcapturing your ideas, your
progress and your uniqueperspective, one page at a time.
Thanks for taking this deepdive with us.