Personally, I don’t like the word “blog”. It’s one of those words that sticks in your throat - like a hairball.

The first blogs were semi interesting - if you had the time and inclination, you could spend untold precious hours following the daily meanderings of a stranger’s life path, and maybe come away enriched . . . and maybe not.

And then, as virtual trends tend to do, the concept took off on a wild ride that took it to places not yet imagined.

Truthfully, I cannot deal with the world of “blogging”. I have not been that “tossed about” mentally since the very beginning of the web when nobody knew where they were clicking off to exactly, nor, more importantly, how to get back. I am crazy enough already, thank you, and my attention cannot span the lengths (or links) involved in the blogging experience.

But, after stacks of email requests for a Cre8it Blog, I knew I had to do something. I tried a commercial blog site for a few minutes, and found that I absolutely could not communicate that way. Then I created my own Blog portion of the website along with archives and organization.

But, I don’t like it.

Instead of just sharing a thing or two - which could be quick and relatively painless, I must also do a bunch of left brain organizational things which is painful, and so I don’t do it.

Artist Journals, on the other hand, have an intrinsic appeal. The concept seems friendlier and you don’t choke on the words. The flow is straightforward - you just create a page to explore where the muse might be taking you this day. You throw in an opinion or two, a few sketches, and offer it for sharing . . . or not.

I like it.

So, I have made a change. No more archives for left brains to deal with (mine or yours). Just a journal with pages that turn like a book. If you want to see what went before, you turn the pages backwards. Simple, elegant, and easy. From now on, clicking the link I send you in the Yahoo Announcement or the Art Blog button on my home page will take you to the newest page in the journal. From there, you can turn back to previous pages if you so desire, or even choose to go back to page one. When the thing gets too big, we’ll start a new volume - just as we would do once we filled a real world journal.

I think what blocked me for most of my life is that I have never wanted to give physical reality to my dark thoughts. Whenever I would try, I would never return to that particular book again, not wanting to revisit sad moments or problems. I know it helps some people to work things through this way, but I’m not one of them.

The joyful moments, however, are something else again. My biggest joy is exploring: places, thoughts and ideas. And I like to go back and revisit those moments - because I forget about them (mental pause) and can get excited all over again - and because they are even more interesting from whatever perspective I find myself on that future visit. So, that’s what my journal contents should be.

Once you climb over the “what should I put in it?” block, you must face the “what should I put it in?” block. I know that you, like I, have stacks of blank journals that weren’t right for one reason or another. In my case, it is really ridiculous. I even created what I thought was my “Perfect Journal” in an issue of Now What? That was a very nice journal, but it did not stop the quest for something better.

And then there’s the “what should I write or draw in it with?” block - which is really horrendous if you are a multi-media maven like we are. I, quite literally, “can’t leave home without it”, and that philosophy is not conducive to art-on-the-go.

Everybody, it seems has written a book on how to journal. Everything from the pre-planning necessary to paint and gesso all your pages ahead of time, to the simplicity of just carrying a ballpoint pen and folded cocktail napkin! None of these methods seem quite right for me.

And I don’t have the answers. But I have something that is working for the moment, and I’m going to share it in hopes that some parts of it are useful for you. We can never have too many ideas about where to put our ideas!

I always carry a tiny Moleskine Sketchbook in my purse for jotting down ideas, book titles, websites, and other information I run into while running around.

I liked the heavyweight paper a lot, so I had also purchased a large Moleskine Sketchbook to carry around as a journal. But it had been lying untouched on the floor of the van for months.

I picked it up, dusted it off, and knew it was my beginning.

Now, I wanted a way to carry it and some art supplies in one unit.

I tucked a Sheer Heaven Perfect Palette in the back pocket of the sketchbook for security (I wouldn’t have color shortages) and a waterbrush into one of the three pen pockets. (I ADORE waterbrushes!)

I am reading a book on journaling right now, which says you must draw with permanent ink and not erase. There is a good side to that - it forces you to be less of a perfectionist about your drawing, but I just don’t feel right without my #3H pencil and Magic Rub eraser.

So, I tucked the pencil out of sight behind the sketchbook (in case I get caught with a pencil by that author!), but the eraser could only go in that see through pocket! At least it would look like I had nothing I could actually erase with it!

I chose a waterproof Pitt Pen with a FIne tip for writing and drawing. I liked the line width and watercolor would not smear it. That got pen pocket #2.

Another rule in the journaling book is to keep things simple and quick. I had 40 colors hidden away, but I also needed an immediate source of color - you know, for those quick sketches of coffee mugs and salt and pepper shakers that seem to be in ALL art journals! What would be simple and quick?

How could I choose? I did manage and I will share that process later, but I knew when I was finished, that I finally had a combination that could work . . . and it did!

Because I have actually carried it with me for a week already - and used it!

Have not drawn any coffee mugs or salt and pepper shakers yet, but I will, don’t worry.

I have journaled in the garden, in the car while drive-thru banking, in a restaurant, and on a bench at my favorite nursery.

I am taking a short trip to Colorado this weekend with an artist friend who will also bring an art journal. Can’t wait to give this method a road test!