Art journaling emerges as Chennai’s latest creative outlet

In Chennai, this creative wave is just starting to catch on, with many entering the art journaling scene through community events and workshops

Sometimes, old magazine clippings, expired train tickets, and leftover art supplies come together to create an entire art journal spread – turning scraps into something meaningful. It is from this idea that the concept of curated art journal kits – complete with vintage stickers, washi tapes, and other art supplies – emerges, a dream for many stationery lovers.

In Chennai, this creative wave is just starting to catch on, with many entering the art journaling scene through community events and workshops. One such workshop was recently hosted by Bhanu Vivekanandan at Backyard in Adyar, where a group of participants, many of whom have never done a journal spread, left with their own creatives at the end of the workshop that spoke to them.

“The intention of creating an art journal spread means different things to different people,” says Ms. Bhanu, an art journaling enthusiast who balances her passion with a full-time IT job. “Some come to express themselves through art, some for quality time with fellow art lovers, and others for the therapeutic process of creating something out of a blank spread,” adds Ms. Bhanu.

Among the newbie artists, the youngest attendee was 11 years old, while the oldest to attend was 64. “It was my first time making an art journal spread with stickers I like – Studio Ghibli films, book quotes, bouquets, and bicycle stickers dominate my art spread because it reflects my personality. With exams keeping me busy, this was such a relaxing time,” said the 11-year-old Chrisleena.

In Chennai, monthly art journaling workshops were initiated by Fazila Fahzath, who has been practising both bullet journaling and art journaling for eight years and leading workshops for the last two. “I conduct women’s only workshops for them to take time out for themselves as an act of self-care, and build a sense of community to uplift each other, alongside corporate and public events,” shares Ms. Fazila, who left her full-time job to add hues to the art journaling scene in Chennai.

Her workshops are stocked with art supplies she sources from Malaysia, including vintage stickers, washi tapes, wax seal stamps, and journal kits. She recently started producing her own line of materials.

Ms. Fazila shares that her workshops begin with a guided meditation to help participants relax and tune in, and the next few hours are about creating their spreads using the abundant supplies provided. “My workshops always revolve around a theme, such as fear and freedom, body shaming, anxiety, and other prompts. I never tell participants how to create their spreads – they choose the stickers themselves. For one person, a butterfly sticker might represent freedom, but it could mean something completely different to someone else. That’s the essence of art journaling – one’s own story to tell,” she explains.

For some of these art journaling enthusiasts in Chennai, this creative practice is a way of life, though it is often misunderstood as simply cutting things up. “Only when someone experiences art journaling for themselves, do the questions of ‘what and why this art’ will truly start to fade,” Ms. Fazila adds.

Published - September 28, 2024 06:40 pm IST