The idea of having yet another notebook – digital or in paper – may not sound particularly appealing to you, but starting an Art Journal has a great number of advantages and it can take your experiences with art to another level.
Most of us go to places and events without really taking some time (and this could be as little as 5 minutes!) to organise our thoughts and impressions and this can leave us feeling overwhelmed and perhaps even insecure about the next trip.
If you are looking to draw more awareness into your next cultural event, art journaling is certainly something you should try out.
Basically, an Art Journal offers a great starting point for:
# 1 – Organising and planning exhibition visits, music concerts, and cultural events of all kinds in a way that allows you to make conscious choices what to visit next and, at the same time, it can even work as a little motivation to make plans. Good planning can also reduce the risk of missing out on amazing events and we probably all know that it is impossible to remember all of the event dates!
# 2 – Memorising the bits and pieces that you found interesting, surprising, or inspiring. And this is where your Art Journal can serve you in two different ways: you can either use it as a blank canvas and just go ahead and fill it with all of your thoughts and highlights, or, you can include some basic questions (i.e. How did I experience the spatial arrangement of the exhibition? or What emotions did the stage design provoke in me?) that stimulate you to remember and reflect on certain aspects.
# 3 – Developing ideas that you had during an event but did not have a chance to further think about. I like to take my Art Journal with me whenever I can so that I can write down my impressions as I walk through the museum, or, I just sit down in a café and do some writing afterward. Obviously, whether you want to take your Art Journal with you or write in it at a later point depends on the type of event and place you are visiting and the experience you are looking for. Sometimes it can be better to take it all in before ordering your thoughts and put them in writing. And this is probably one of the biggest advantages of art journaling because when you write something down you have no other choice but to be aware of your thoughts, emotions, and memories.
So, yes it is true when they say the magic happens when pen meets paper because by reflecting on our experiences we are able to learn more about our perception of and perspective on art and cultural events.
The best thing about art journaling: you will develop a higher level of awareness whenever you meet art because the practice of writing down your experiences trains your perception skills.
Art Relevance 
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