Travel Journaling

I took a class about two years ago where I learned the art of travel/sketch journaling from a VERY sweet and talented lady, Beth Dean! (She’s a fun instagram follow!) The idea is to take a little book of watercolor paper, a small set of watercolors, and a few other tools with you wherever you go (mainly when you travel, but it can truly be anywhere) and capture a little snippet of what you’re experiencing!

I shared a few pages on Instagram that I got to work on while I was at the beach with friends recently and had so many folks ask me questions, so I wanted to do a blog post about it and get you situated with the tools!!

The beauty of travel journaling is, it enhances your experience. Then, later on, you recall your travels more vividly! Beth suggested jotting down any notable smells or sounds, maybe who you were with, definitely where you are and when you’re there… Just anything you think you might want to remember years down the road! It’s great for your brain!

Also, you do NOT have to be an artist to do this! Your sketches or paintings do not have to be “good.” This is for YOU! You might even want to write out a song or a scripture or something funny your husband said rather than doing an actual picture!

I enjoy doing a mixture of just pen drawings, just pencil drawings, and full out color pictures! You can truly do whatever want. NO rules! And you don’t even have to be traveling! I have more time to do it when I am traveling, but I’ve done plenty just sitting on the back patio watching my kids play in the yard. It’s VERY fun, no matter your skill level!

Start simple. Just draw a leaf or something. Have fun with it! ALSO, if you ever get the chance to take a class from Beth, DO IT! You can keep an eye on her Instagram for class times! She teaches so much more that I’m certain I’m forgetting. She’s amazing!

Here are the tools:

// Spiral book with watercolor pages // pens with ink that won’t bleed when it gets wet // small tin of watercolors // a paintbrush with a water reservoir // pencil with eraser // paper towels or paper napkins //

Sometimes, your kids might want to “help,” as seen above! haha It was at this point that I got Wilson and Lily Ryan their own books! 😉

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! It’s such a nice way to relax and hone in on a subject you might not have otherwise given a second thought! It makes me appreciate God’s teeny little details. And makes me appreciate His creativity SO MUCH!

As always, THANK YOU For stopping in!

Have fun with this! You are so loved! Happy journaling!