Don't Think...

...and make a great big mess.

That's what I tried for this afternoon's chance at creating a new journal page. Well, 2 pages, that is.

My messy recipe?
1 empty shampoo bottle
shelf liner remnant
paint (acrylic and watercolor)
white gesso
Mod Podge (as an adhesive and as a medium)
Neglected (for years!) foam alphabet stamps
2" flat gesso brush
various homemade stamps from found objects
Canson journal notebook

If you're anything like me, you probably generally try and overthink everything instead of just being relaxed. I am the thinking sort, even during creative time. I am trying to not think so hard about outcomes or finished looks in order to hopefully flex some creative muscles. This was hard because I started off by thinking too much about not thinking too much. If that makes any sense.

So today I decided that I would not allow myself to think too much and that I was going to not care either way how the pages might turn out. Which was a good strategy, because this is very unlike anything I've ever done before. A genuine, gloppy and smeary mess.

I'd already glued the shelf liner piece to the old shampoo bottle last weekend, so it had already dried and was ready for use. After that, I'd tried an experiment using some little pots of soft toned paint which I'd found at a thrift store a few years ago. This worked fairly well, although I had to hurry an awful lot before the paint would dry in order to apply colors to the makeshift shampoo roller. 

Today's experiment went less well as far as messiness was concerned. I went with it anyway, and now have a new 2 pager. It's smeared in spots as well as spotty, but I am learning not to care too much about such things. After all, it's not for an art show or anything that important. It's Playtime!

Mess Photo 1

(definitely not my normal style)

Mess Photo 2

Mess Photo 3

Mess photo 4

"Don't think!"

Though I know that I could do better, I am willing to let it all be about the moment. It just is what it turned out to be. If I were to choose to add anything else to it later on, it might spoil that spontaneous, childlike look.

:)

Next month's shopping list will no doubt include a new paint set. (It's amazing just how much of my old sets spoiled while I was on "hiatus.") And maybe some inks. And perhaps 2 new brushes. Or maybe a new bottle of Gloss medium.

And...and...and...