It’s a Mood y’all

I remember a time when blogging was easy and effortless (or was it?). A blog post could consist of just a journal spread that I had just finished in my current art journal. I’d snap a few photos of that spread and share it, without any planning, linking, boosting or much text. And I’d get 5-10 comments. It did not have to be profound or complicated. We were all in love with blogging and wanted “in” back then. It could just be that quick impulse to share and I went with it.

Do you remember that time too? Was it as simple and exciting as my mind makes it out to be these days?

Ice coffee and Art Journal detail with aging hand made by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)
A simple life. Iced coffee and my art journal.

I have been going through older blog posts to update them with featured images and save them in the “new” format of blocks etcetera. It is really tedious and time-consuming, but it brings me back to my blog (at the back-end at least) and it makes me wonder if I lost something along the way? Maybe that is how it must be.

Or maybe I am just getting old(er). Glorifying the golden days of years past.

These days I feel like all my starts start with “I haven’t done this in a while” or “I don’t know how long it’s been since…”. But it is just that times moves slowly, and quickly. It feels like it’s been ages since I created regularly, and yet, in little bursts I create art journal pages, I stitch, I write, I doodle, I snap a few photos here and there – and I even paint. Just in a slower tempo, a lot slower than 20 years ago when is started this blog. I think that is okay too.

Art Journal detail with painted dots and gold stars in altered book, by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)

Today I’m sharing details from my current Art journal, and this spread that I really like even though it started with the question: How the hell do you art journal and how do you create pages you like?

I did not know. I did not remember. So I made this:

Art Journal spread in altered book, by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)

I think it came out of my inner artist, or muscle memory.

Wherever it’s from I get a gold star for creating it.

It’s a Mood: Gold Stars for everyone

I don’t know where it came from, but I can tell you what it consists of. A few images from my box of magazine clippings, a bit acrylic paint and lots of dots. Then a little bit of journaling where I could fit it. The journaling is just me questioning myself, as you do at times.

I circled a few of the black dots using a Pentel Hybrid Gel Pen in gold. I freaking love this pen. The metallic shimmer has glitter in it, and it looks gorgeous on the page. Just saying. Added a few starts as well. That finished the page for sure.

All this to say, to myself, I was not inspired when I started to create this spread but when I finished it, I was. The magic of doing – or the act of doing that is magic.

Since October is tomorrow, and winter is approaching (as I have formally said good bye to summer) I thought this, a little bit darker than my normal style-page would be fun to share with you today. It’s a mood, y’all.

What the hell is Art Journaling detail with painted polka dots in altered book, by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)
Question of the day: What the hell is art journaling and how do you create a page you like?
Art Journaling detail with painted polka dots in altered book, by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)
It is all quite surprising, don’t you agree?
Art Journal detail with painted polka dots circled in gold - in altered book, by iHanna in 2024 (Photo copyright Hanna Andersson)
Art journaling magic.

Thanks for reading. More coming soon.

PS: In case you don’t remember blog posts that were “quick and simple” here’s one about a green bird and here’s another one about more winged things. Ha! Happy October!


5 Responses

  1. I’m happy for all of the friendships forged 😘 in that era. You are not imagining — it was a different time. I miss the feeling of camaraderie and interaction like it felt more connected? I’m so glad you’re still blogging!!!
    🧡🩷🤍💚🩵❤️💛🖤🩶

    • Me too. Thanks Tammy, you’ve been on a blog high lately – so many good posts! I hope it rubs of on me. xo

  2. I miss those days of blogging too!! It was a good time to be on the internet, I miss that community that existed in the bloggy world. Your art journal spread looks fabulous!

  3. I started blogging 20 years ago too and blogged in much the same way you did. I quit in 2012 though after over 600 posts. It seemed like the community dried up about then. Now I post to Instagram and Flicker and also in Ravelry groups. Only the latter seem to have much in the way of realy conversations.

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