Creative Journaling - Connecting To Your Inner Child

 The older I get, the further I get from creativity. Since I was small I was very passionate about art. I would read my father’s heavy textbook about art history. And take in every sight, from modern to classical art. I learned about the likes of Basquiat, and Van Gogh. And it inspired me to just paint, draw and be creative. I learned how to paint, draw and experimented with different mediums and art styles. Up until I was twenty two, I could spend hours on end painting. But then something happened, work got busy and life started to change. Somewhere in between love and loss, my creative energy became trapped. I felt as if I could no longer hold a pencil, or conjure up the inspiration to paint. So now, as a mother of two and wife. I have decided to pick up the pencil and paintbrush again. Make the collages and get back to channeling my creative energy and expression. Even if you are not someone who is or was ever passionate about art. Creating something with your hands helps to engage with that playful nature we had in childhood. Remember when you could imagine a whole universe? Play pretend for hours on end? 

For me, channeling my creative energy connects me back to the joy I felt in childhood. That joy that comes with curiosity and wonder. And as a mother, as I watch my children grow, I want to grow with them. And part of that for me, is getting back to just enjoying time being creative. The way I am doing that now, is art journaling. As we grow, we lose our connection to things that we used to and probably continue to find enjoyable. For instance, maybe you were very passionate about gaming or crafts. But as you’ve gotten older you have classified these things as immature or unrefined. I think that as we grow through life, we start to put ourselves into boxes of what we should be doing. So because I’m a parent, I should have a hobby like Pilates or cooking. Rather than something you might really enjoy more, like a colouring book or collecting stickers. 

The reality is, many of us grew up too fast. We were responsible for siblings, tasks at home and working. So when we entered adulthood, it was as if our childhood was cut short. There might have been things you wanted to do as a child but maybe your parents did not have the financial means or it was not a priority. Now is the time, you are never too mature for wonder, play and fun. You are never too mature for creativity. 

Creative journaling is a fun way to be creative and use different mediums. You can use scrap paper, old magazines, dried flowers, and things you already have around the house. I also decided to try to integrate the Quran into my creative journaling. Below is an example of one of my pages where I was exploring travel. It is not perfect, and it is not meant to be. These pages you create are for your own personal self expression, do not worry about the imaginary audience in your head and have fun. In my early twenties I did a lot of travelling, and there are so many verses in the Quran which describe the beauty that Allah swt has filled our world with. 

1. What Materials You Need

    Grab an empty notebook, a black pen, magazines, or you can find patterned scrap paper at the dollar or craft store. You’ll also need a glue stick, tape, and white out. Now you can also do this without these things and just do creative journaling using your pen and notebook. You’ll also need your imagination and creative energy. Remember, it does not need to be perfect it just has to spark joy! You can look at Pinterest for inspiration or ideas. But I think the best thing is to just have fun. As we go through life we put so much pressure on ourselves, make this a no pressure activity. There does not have to be a perfect outcome! 

2. Find Inspiration 

    You can look online, but also look within. Think about some ideas that have been on your mind. Maybe you have been thinking about being more positive, you can find quotes about outlook and gratitude online. But also look at the Quran, look at the words of Allah swt and use journaling to connect even further. Think about a Surah or verses in the Quran that are very dear to you and explore them more through journaling. You can also use creative journaling to help you explore emotions such as grief, loss and sadness. Write yourself a letter, and make it beautiful, fill the page with color and collages. 

3. Let Go Of The Outcome

  One great thing about creative journaling is that you just need to express yourself creatively. Detach from the outcome of how it is going to look and just enjoy the journey. Enjoy the process of cutting and piecing images together, doodling and forget the outcome. Just let go, no one has to see this except for you! Focus on your feelings rather than aesthetics. And try to convey your feelings in a way that you can understand. As someone who has painted most of my life, I would focus so much on the outcome. I once painted a portrait of my parents but did not like where it was going, so now 6 years later that painting remains unfinished. I was so attached to perfection, it ruined the gift I was planning to give my parents. And my father passed away before I ever finished it. So for me now, my creativity is less about the outcome and more about the feeling. 

4. Connect With Your Inner Child

  Get back to those feelings of wonder and sheer joy you had as you played. Use creativity as a form of play, and healing. I think we have a lot to learn from children. And a lot to learn from ourselves as children, when we were young we cherished the art of play. We cherished joy and it did not take a lot for us to experience that. That is one of the blessings of childhood, I would play outside for hours and imagine I was in a different universe. The older we get, the more we experience the harsh realities of this world we lose that. Use creativity to reconnect to that wonder, warmth and joy. Maybe while doing journaling you can watch a show you enjoyed when you were young. Or something that makes you feel some joy and wonder. We need to remember that shame was something we learned as we grew. Shame maybe in your hobbies and interests. Shame that you are not where you feel you should be in life. And this shame plummets us into feelings of self-doubt, and insecurities. Maybe you are passionate about poetry, but someone told you when you were young it was a useless talent. Maybe you really wanted to be on a sports team but your parents did not allow you. You are still that child deep inside, and you need to be compassionate towards yourself.

Creative journaling is a really great way to connect to your inner child and explore your creativity. But even if it is not journaling for you, kick a soccer ball around, pick some flowers and build that Lego set. It’s okay, no one is going to get you in trouble for it.