Bundles of inspiration
the art of making
bundles of inspiration
Hello lovely creative!
This week I've been filming a bonus lesson for Life Book 2022, where I'm sharing one of my favorite creative practices: the art of making “bundles”. What kind of bundle you ask? Well, bundles of inspiration of course! I’ve been making these for years and they’ve become a real part of my process, especially for art journaling.
So today I’m sharing about this process, and then I will tell you all about the page that emerged from it (spoiler alert: there’s quite a bit of serendipity involved!). If you’d like to watch the whole process from start to finish, then join me in Life Book!
for the love of paper scraps
So first, the bundles: the idea is to gather a small pile of collage materials that fit together, to then use as a starting point for a page or even a painting. And what’s even better is to make a few of them in advance, so you always have this lovely resource to turn to!
Over time, I have accumulated so many collage materials, and even though some are neatly tucked into clear boxes (so I can see what’s inside) or rolled into a large bucket, what I use the most on a daily basis is my big basket of paper scraps! Whenever I get an old magazine or some lovely patterned paper (wrapping paper, wallpaper samples, a scrapbooking pad…), I’ll immediately tear some into smaller pieces and toss them in the basket. Whenever I clean the studio and sweep the floor, any left-over scraps go straight to the basket too! In no time at all, it becomes this big treasure trove of patterns, colors and images that never fails to inspire me.
invite intuition
What usually happens, as I start rummaging through my basket, is that a first piece of paper will catch my eye. Then I will start adding more and more, until I hold a small handful of papers, which I will then secure with a paper clip. Very often, I start gathering one bundle, but another piece of paper catches my eye too that doesn’t really fit, so I’ll put it on my table and start another pile. I often end up making three or more bundles at a time!
I like to listen to a podcast, put some music on or even watch a video as I do this, because I find it helps me loosen up and be more intuitive. Whenever I’m too focused on the task itself, my bundles don’t end up half as inspiring. But when my left brain is busy listening to something else, then I end up with some surprisingly harmonious color palettes, or even a combination of images that suddenly tell a story! When I spread all the elements of a bundle in front of me, it’s amazing to see the different atmospheres they convey.
from bundle to page
Most of the time, I won’t be making bundles with the intention of creating an art journal page right afterwards. In fact, I especially love to do this when I don't have the time or energy for a full art session. This week was an exception because I had a lesson to film and a deadline to meet! But I still did several bundles, so when I got started, I had no idea which one I would end up using, and I love how it turned out!
This page is very special to me because it is the very first page of my new art journal (my third). I’ve titled this one “A Book of Light & Shadow” and I love that this is reflected in its first page.
magic & serendipity
When I opened my various bundles, trying to decide which one I would use, there was this one that really called to me. Then when I looked closer, I realized that there was an image (an old business card) of the very first painting I ever sold, and it just felt right for this new beginning, this first page of a new journal. Especially since in the past month or so, I’ve been feeling a longing to revisit some of my first loves, art processes from my very early years as an artist.
There was also a butterfly in the bundle, and I love that it’s black because this way it embodies both light and shadow. At first I thought about keeping just one focal point for my spread, so I thought I would use the image of the painting as a backdrop for the butterfly. After all, as long as I knew it was there, that was enough for me.
So there I was, lost in the process, gluing and painting and writing on my page, all the while filming to make a timelapse of the process… And here is the magical part of the story: I was about to glue that butterfly over the image of the girl, when suddenly I noticed that the camera had stopped rolling!
I instantly went from being in the flow to a whole lot of frustration and stress, having to stop everything, call William to the rescue and upload the video to the computer to see where exactly it had stopped, and if there were any bits I needed to redo (there were a few, oh well).
When I was able to start again, I took a moment to breathe, settle down and ask the journal: what exactly was that all about?? (I do tend to talk to my inner artist through the journal quite a lot). And that’s when I noticed: the girl, with a book in her hands. This girl, which I painted years ago, actually opening the story-book of her heart and soul. A girl who, at a deep level, represented me at the start of my creative journey. And there I was, just like her, holding my own story-book, my art journal. And I was going to cover her up?? Oh dear.
The moment it hit me, all stress vanished and I just had to laugh. My inner guide does have a wicked sense of humor sometimes, stopping cameras and all… She definitely knows what she wants and will put me back on track however she needs to! Which, on the bright side, means I can fully and utterly trust her, and to me, that’s where the true magic lies.
I could feel she had more to say, so I grabbed my stash of cut-out words to see what would emerge. I love the little message that revealed itself. As usual, it was precisely what my heart needed to hear.
So you see how small bundle of paper scraps can be the starting point to a whole creative journey and a rich art journal page? Making these bundles is such a fun and relaxing practice, and I like to always keep a few at the ready to get me inspired and in the flow whenever I need!
If you would like to see the making of these bundles in more detail, and watch the making of this page from start to finish, then join me in Life Book 2022! This magical, year-long program is all about finding joy and wellbeing through art-making. You’ll get to enjoy plenty of beautiful, inspiring and relaxing lessons by our happy team of teachers:
I hope this will inspire you to give the “bundles of inspiration” a try! Then I would love to know how it goes, and see how you go from a bundle to a page. Please leave a comment for me below!
If you share pictures on Instagram, please add the hashtag #artjournalwithlaly so we can find you easily!
