Art Making: How to Use Journaling as a Jump-Off Point for Creative Healing
As an art therapist with a deep passion for mindfulness and creative healing, I often begin my personal and professional art making with one simple practice: journaling.
Not the polished, Instagram-worthy kind—just a pen, a quiet space, and a willingness to explore what’s stirring beneath the surface. Over the years, I’ve discovered that journaling is more than writing—it’s a portal. A gentle bridge between intention and creativity, between breath and brushstroke.
If you’ve ever wondered how to move from written reflection into art making, this post will guide you. I’ll also share how Zen-inspired techniques like doodling and neurographic art can transform your inner experience and enhance your mindfulness practice.
Start with Intention: Journaling as a Mindful Beginning
In both my personal life and in sessions with clients, I often invite journaling as the first step before art making. Setting an intention is key. Whether it’s clarity, self-compassion, or release, naming what you want to explore grounds your practice and opens the door to deeper creative healing.
Your journal doesn’t need to be profound. Try this:
1. Take 3 deep breaths.
2. Write down how you’re feeling—honestly.
3. Ask yourself: What do I need right now?
4. Let your hand move freely—don’t censor.
Often, just the act of writing clears mental fog. I like to call this my “internal weather report”—noticing the climate within before creating something new. Read more about combining writing with mindfulness and how it enhances these skills.
From Words to Images: Doodling and Neurographic Art
Once your thoughts are on paper, you might feel an urge to draw—follow it. Doodling is one of the most accessible forms of mindfulness and is deeply rooted in Zen traditions. Think of Japanese ensō circles: one brushstroke, done with presence. This kind of spontaneous mark-making is meditative, and it doesn’t require “artistic talent”—just presence.
One of my favorite techniques to transition from journaling into art is neurographic art making. This process involves drawing freeform lines across a page, then softening intersections with rounded edges. I’ve found it particularly helpful when dealing with anxiety or emotional overwhelm.
Here’s how to use neurographic art making as a mindful follow-up to journaling:
1. Re-read what you wrote.
2. Choose a phrase or feeling that stands out.
3. Draw a series of lines on a new page—no planning.
4. Soften all the intersections with curves.
5. Add color intuitively, using your breath as a guide.
This meditative drawing process mirrors the flow of your nervous system, calming the body and grounding the mind.
Breath Work + Art = Deep Presence
I often pair breath work with art making, especially after journaling. Simply pausing to inhale deeply before choosing a color or making a mark can anchor you in the present moment. When we create from this centered space, we tap into creative healing on a cellular level.
Try this:
1. Inhale for 4 counts.
2. Hold for 2.
3. Exhale slowly for 6.
3. Now begin your doodle or neurographic lines.
This slow, intentional breathing helps regulate the nervous system and primes the brain for open-ended creativity.
Meditation and Visual Journaling
Sometimes, after journaling and drawing, I end with a short meditation. This completes the loop in art making. It helps me witness what’s emerged—without judgment. In sessions, I invite clients to do a simple body scan or focus on a mantra like, “I create with love and intention.”
Meditation after art making allows your insights to settle and root more deeply. You may even return to your journal to write about what arose during the creative process, completing a mindful circle of expression.
Putting It All Together: A Sample Practice
If you’re new to combining journaling and art therapy techniques, here’s a simple practice to try:
Journal Prompt: “Today, I want to feel more…”
1. Set an Intention: Choose one word from your journal—like peace or trust.
2. Breath Work: Do 3 rounds of deep belly breathing.
3. Art Practice: Use neurographic art or Zen doodling to explore that word visually.
4. Reflect: What did you feel or notice? What colors or shapes emerged?
5. Close with Meditation: Sit quietly for 3–5 minutes with one hand on your heart.
Final Thoughts: Creativity is a Healing Ritual
Art therapy isn’t about making pretty pictures—it’s about transformation. When we combine journaling with mindful drawing, breath work, and intention, we create space for our deeper truths to surface. I’ve seen this in my clients, and I experience it myself, again and again through the art making process.
No matter your artistic background, these practices offer a gentle path inward—a way to tune in, let go, and reconnect with your inner wisdom.
So next time you pick up your journal, think of it as a jump-off point. From pen to paper, from breath to brushstroke, may your creativity guide your art making into profound healing.
