I was so excited when I saw that Dylan had posted another Illustrated Journalling class, as I LOVED her first one!

For the first day, I did Greetings from my Hiatus, as I’m currently taking a break from my regular job (tattooing), and I’ve been feeling like I’m in a slump.

For days 2, 3 and 4, I used the theme of holidays (holidays I’ve been on, a holiday I wish I was on right now, and a future holiday I want to go on with my family).

Day 5 was fun! Although I was lying in bed, I still found a way to use all my senses.

Day 6 was one of my faves, as my favourite colour is a big part of everything I do in life, from my house, to my clothes, accessories, even appliances. Everyone knows me as that woman who likes blues/greens. I couldn’t fit everything I have on the page so I just picked the more interesting ones.

Day 7 (Belly Laugh) was fun too - we have a new puppy, and I wanted to get to grips with drawing her. Took me a few tries, but I think I did okay!

Day 8 was by far the most difficult, because I really have trouble accepting my self-worth, and I mostly HATE the way I look. But I really thought about it hard, and chose the things I don’t mind so much.

I Wonder was a little tricky too, as I think about a lot of things obsessively, and I wanted to keep this light-hearted. But to be perfectly honest I think about Death more than anything, and I do have a sense of humour about it.

By Day 10, I’d really gotten into a good rhythm, and “Home” is such an easy concept for me, because I have a wonderful family that loves me. It was a no-brainer.

A Map was daunting, but I ended up really enjoying this one! I decided to draw a map of our home, showing where all our books are kept, as we have loads, and they’re everywhere (even in the garden!) I also love that it stands as a little snapshot of our home as it is now, that I can look back on in the future.

Day 12 (My Sky) was just fun and allowed me to let loose, I felt like I didn’t really have to be accurate with it, and just let my pens fly on the page. As such, it’s stands out against the other days as something more abstract.

The Report Card day was inspiring! I got my daughter to tell me the best things I do as a mum, and where she thinks I could improve (which made me laugh), and decided to have a go at making this page a bit 3D. I was trying to make it look like the report card was pinned to the fridge, along with other bits and bobs (shopping list, magnets). I like how it turned out, and even got my little girl to sign her name on it.

Finally, for the last day I wanted to go positive, because I have a lot of dreams that cause me anguish and stress, and most of which are unachievable… but this simple, attainable goal would bring me so much joy. Just completing 3 sketchbooks in a year. And thanks to Dylan’s class, I’m already on my way to getting it done!

So once again, I really enjoyed her class. Her prompts are simple enough that even I can think of an idea for them, but broad enough that I can do something wacky if I want to! I’m really hoping she will do a part 3, but in the meantime, I’m going back to the first class again!

Illustrated Journaling Part 1 - 2024 - image 1 - student project

Jemmy Lee

Tattoo Artist and Freelance Illustrator

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