The Reflective Visual Journal is a indispensable tool which is a must for all visual communicators. The reason behind the title "A Reflective Visual Journal" is because the journal is reflective, as its your own personal space of thinking, its visual because you will picture things visually and draw them down and a journal which will be used consistently over time.The beauty of the journal is that any idea is acceptable, may that idea be good or bad nobody will judge it!
You can visualize, draw, annotate and evaluate all your ideas or images all in one safe place!
Principle 1: DRAW- work by hand
Drawing is the easiest way to express all your thoughts and feelings onto a piece of paper. Drawing is a essential part of the RVJ as it enables your eyes, hand and creative right brain to engage and create. Drawing is a totally different process to writing with words or working on a computer or a camera. By drawing you have the ability to put any thoughts in your head, come to life. Drawing is not just doodling or making pretty pictures, it's thinking and analyzing. Many people may be scared to draw, as it may be personal to them or the idea of exposing your inner thoughts and feelings may seem a little frightening to them. However the RVJ will allow you to do this; as it is your own personal space where you can let go of all these inner critics and expose yourself without any fear.
Drawing is the easiest way to express all your thoughts and feelings onto a piece of paper. Drawing is a essential part of the RVJ as it enables your eyes, hand and creative right brain to engage and create. Drawing is a totally different process to writing with words or working on a computer or a camera. By drawing you have the ability to put any thoughts in your head, come to life. Drawing is not just doodling or making pretty pictures, it's thinking and analyzing. Many people may be scared to draw, as it may be personal to them or the idea of exposing your inner thoughts and feelings may seem a little frightening to them. However the RVJ will allow you to do this; as it is your own personal space where you can let go of all these inner critics and expose yourself without any fear.
Drawing gets your ideas out there, it enables you to see them on paper clearly where you then, can start on developing them.
Development of a rough sketch, to adding details and tone.
Drawing does not have to be done by just pen and paper, it can also be done by using and experimenting with a wide range of different materials.
Drawings by Lizzie Finn, she claims shes not too good at drawing by hand so she "sticks stuff down"
Principle 2: Utilize your creative brain
Did you know that in your head there are two brains...? Well two halves of your brain are essentially separate, although they may look the same they are two completely different types of machinery which work in their own unique way. There is a left brain and a right brain, both of which link up together by the Copus Callosum. The Copus Callosum is made up of a bundle of neural fibers which lie just beneath the cortex in the brain. The function of the Copus Callosum is that it allows both parts of the brain to collaborate together as a team, to transfer data between the two.
So how does the right brain think..?
The right brain is much like a playful child. Its innocent, experimental, sensitive and curious. This side of the brain is the "adventurous" side which loves to play. The right side of the brain is most likely to have more accidents as it plays around and experiments with a whole range of different things.
"Play and accident are related.."
"Ideas emerge as they become visible on the paper.."
"The right side will let you free.."
Visual image showing the difference between left brain and right brain thinking
"I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on a empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be" quoted by Mercedes Benz
Now on to the left side of the brain...
The left brain is like an accountant. It analyses and organizes any work that you create. Your left brain is the annotation, evaluation and classification you put into your RVJ. This side of the brain will ask questions such as, "what is useful?", "what works better?", "How can I make this work". Neither one is better than the other as we need both in order to play and be serious.
"I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytic. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am" quoted by Mercedes Benz
