The other day, I was watching videos on YouTube while working when a video by Journaling Planet popped up. In the video, How To Start Your Own Ekphrastic Journal & What Is Ekphrastic Journaling, she described combining ekphrasis and journaling, and I thought, ‘WOW, this is something that needs to go into my journaling toolbox!’. That thought was immediately followed by, ‘WOW, everyone else needs this too!’ So here we go!
Ekphrastic Journaling by Helen @ Journaling Planet
First and foremost, Helen’s video (9 minutes) is the place to start. So watch that before reading on.
Helen has a great YouTube channel called Journaling Planet that features junk journaling, ekphrastic journaling, and eco-friendly journaling. You will find videos on making stamps from egg cartons, textured washi tape from napkins, cards from packaging, and so much more!
Want to see other videos on my YouTube playlist?
What is Ekphrasis?
ek·phra·sis : a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art
Ekphrastic poetry has been around for ages. According to The Getty Museum one of the earliest examples of ekphrastic poetry is in Homer’s Illiad. He describes a shield over 150 lines of poetry. In modern-day writings, you will also see the ekphrasis happen in a book where they are describing a piece of art.
If you’d like to learn more about what an ekphrasis is, watch this video (4 min) by Gemini Ink. It is very informative and helps you learn how to write them yourself.
Let’s Take It To The Journal
Now that you understand what all of this is, it’s time to take it to the journal. The steps for ekphrastic journaling are easy enough, and once you get started, you too might find it’s something to keep in your journaling toolbox for those times when you want to write but just don’t want to dig into your own mind for inspiration.
Step 1 : Find an image.
Finding an image can be super simple. But if you are having trouble, here are some ideas on what to use and where to look. Images can be found in magazines, online at photo-sharing sites, and even on your camera roll. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a photo or piece of artwork either; my first foray into ekphrastic journaling used a sticker that I had purchased because I loved the artwork. I have many of these pieces that I grabbed because they look great, but they don’t really fit into my journaling anywhere else. Now they do!
I like to use free photo-sharing sites like Pixabay, Pexels, and Unsplash. Importantly, I am not affiliated with anyone or any site; I am sharing what I use.
Step 2 – Place it on the page.
Print out your image and glue or tape it into your journal. When you print, you can size it appropriately for your page.
Found images from magazines may be large, and that’s okay. If it’s too large for your page, try to tip it in or just lay it beside your page until you are finished. Then, you can fold it and attach it to the side of the page. If you prefer for it to be smaller, simply scan or take a photo of the image and then print it on paper!
Step 3 – Study the image.
Take a few moments to look at the photo. Notice the artwork, the images, or the subject of the photo. Look at the details, or lack thereof. Think about the story behind the image. Imagine what could have happened just prior to or just after that moment in time.
Step 4 – Begin writing.
Begin writing about that image using the questions below as a guideline:
- What is the image?
- Dig into the details, what do you see?
- What colors? Style?
- How does the image make you feel?
- What does the image bring to mind?
- Does the image inspire you in any way?
Taking the time to think about the image, the subject of the image, the colors, the mood, and the feelings it invokes will help you further explore your thoughts. If you like prompts, using an image prompt can be a fascinating way to go beyond the word prompts.
Break The Work of Art ‘Rule’
While ekphrasis describes a work of art, there are no rules that say you have to follow this rule or method. The idea is simply to allow an image to inspire you. Sometimes, the photos that inspire me the most are simple everyday objects or scenes.
Try this method using a photo that’s personal to you. Look through your phone and find one of a moment that you enjoyed or a place you have visited. Use the photo to inspire your thoughts and feelings about that day, and put it all into your journal.
At the end of the day, my journal includes bullet journaling, daily journaling, gratitude and manifesting, intentions and goal setting, art journaling, sketch diary, brain dumping, and anything else that I feel at a given moment. I am excited to have found yet another technique that I can do in my journal!
Would you rather have journal prompts? Check out the Divergent Dialogues category to see weekly prompts, 31+ Fun Journaling Prompts, or head on over to my Pinterest board!
Have you signed up for unlimited access to the Divergent Vault, which features over 100 free journaling printables and freebies? These freebies include stickers, bookmarks, journal pages, and many other printables!
Happy Journaling!
Sarah G.
