Every Cosmic Smashbook page begins with a query. (That’s really just a journal prompt, but I think Cosmic Smashbook query sounds more elegant.)
🌟 Imagine what it would feel like to live in peace.
That was the Cosmic Smashbook query at last night’s Friday Night Live Smash-Along — a free online guided art-journal experience for anyone who wants to show up and make art with me.
Friday was also the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. So a query about peace seemed right.
For an hour or so, we gathered on Zoom and created art in community.
That part was fun.
We also created a feeling of peace — right there on our Cosmic Smashbook pages.
That part was magical.
Cosmic Smashbook Query
🌟 Imagine what it would feel like to live in peace.
We spent 5 minutes writing about that prompt. I’m always a little surprised at what comes up for me when I spend five minutes writing non-stop. Not thinking about what I’m going to write. Just writing.
Actually, it’s more like listening. I never try to force words across the page (like I sometimes do when writing a blog post!) When I journal, it’s more like asking a question, then recording the words that pop into my head.
Words like:
Not so tense all the time.
Quiet.
Exhale.
My Cosmic Smashbook query unexpectedly turned into a somatic experience — noticing and writing down where in my body I feel tight, tense, the opposite of peace.
Intentional Creativity
In Cosmic Smashbook, we work in layers. Journaling is the first layer.
Next, comes our intentions. I like to start with the words Please show me … and again, listen for the words that come next to complete the sentence.
On Friday night, the words were clear:
Please show me one small way I can feel more peaceful.
Art Making
🌟 Imagine what it would feel like to live in peace.
Art making, like journaling, is a personal experience. The invitation to create a “peaceful page” looked different for every artist that showed up for the Friday Night Live Smash-Along.
That’s all part of the fun too!
I love seeing how everyone interprets the prompt in their own wonderful ways.
For me, I started by choosing peaceful (to me) colors. Soft yellow, moss green, light blue. I felt peaceful swirling them around on the page.
Then I found the perfect peaceful image on a magazine cover — lanterns floating on a river.
Yes! This is what peace feels like to me. Floating. Perfect.
Then I found a picture of a bird flying. That felt pretty darn peaceful too so I added it to my page. And a sticker of a smiling cat. There are no rules! Anything that feels peaceful to you is fair game for this Cosmic Smashbook query.
When I finished gluing everything down, I realized something.
All of those “peaceful colors” I painted still felt a little too loud, a little too chaotic to me. I craved even more quiet.
One Small Way
So I came back with a metallic black to calm down the colors a little more. I painted it very lightly and used my fingers to blend it so some of the original colors still peeked through. It was a small change, but it made a big difference.
I know I can’t block out the chaotic world altogether, but I can find small ways to turn down the volume.
I can create little pockets of peace in my day. Put down my phone and go for a quick walk instead. Turn off TV and work on an art project. Create a quiet space here in my home for myself and my family to find peace.
When I finished blending the black, I noticed the lanterns seemed to glow a little brighter once the darker color surrounded the page.
And in a small way, I did feel more peaceful.
💖 Courtney
Interested in learning more about Cosmic Smashbook art journaling?
Join me live for a Friday Night Live Smash-Along. We meet up on Zoom on Friday nights at 8 pm (eastern time). No artistic talent or previous Cosmic Smashbook experience needed. Just show up and make art. It’s that easy.
And it’s totally FREE!
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