Journal Prompts for February

and other creative ideas!

Hello Friend, how’ve you been?

Over the next three weeks, I’m going to share a few ideas for finding focus and filling a sketchbook or visual journal….let’s call it, Self Love for February!

This week’s assignment: three written journal prompts

I started writing morning pages about 4 years ago and kept it up for ages because I really like how it felt to empty the jumble of things in my head onto a piece of paper. I no longer keep to the the daily rigour of this practice but continue to feel its benefits, so have swapped it out for more specific journal prompts. (Tell me, I’m interested, have you ever used journal prompts as a creative aid?)

I often use them at junctions throughout the year. I would classify a ‘junction’ as the beginning of a month, the shift in seasons or just when I feel like I’ve got a lot in my head (not necessarily negative) that needs to be written down somewhere. It’s a good way to filter, focus and find your way.

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Grab a nice pen or pencil and a notebook or scrap of paper. Set aside a short amount of time, I’d say about 20-30 mins would be perfect

Focusing on the last few wintry months. write your answers to these questions…

1. What have you found difficult or challenging through the winter months that you would like to leave behind as we move into the spring?

2. What creative ideas or projects would like like to put your energy into over the next few months?

3. What do you need to do to get these ideas moving forward?

If you’ve got a bit of time left after writing your answers, make your self a cup of tea and do a bit of doodling around your text. It could be pattern doodles, it could be little imagination drawings of things on your list like art materials, seeds, gardening tools etc. Keep your notes and doodles in a safe place as it can be really useful to look back on or refer back to. but don’t get too caught up in the drawing…just get stuff down, out of your head and on the paper.

I’m really enjoying this about the Comic Diary class I am currently attending with Jane Porter. I have kept my comic diary throughout January and the process of jotting down small things I have noticed, noting conversations and thoughts has been the perfect antidote to the January blues!

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This Month’s Workshop

Collaged Birds with Alice Melvin begins THIS WEEK!

If you’re in need of a creative kickstart, don’t forget that this special workshop for February.

I’m so excited because it feels like the welcoming of spring when we really need it! This is a pre recorded class which you can join at any point and work through at your own pace.

Alice shares her lovely process for creating these beautiful paper birds. It’s so immersive and adaptable that you may find yourself making a whole flock!! (She has even created a template for you if you just want to collage rather than draw!)

£20 for the whole month (£25 from March) which includes a group work along on 20th February if you’d like a bit of company while you are snipping feathers!

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Simple Pleasures

This year, there’s a theme! Throughout 2025 workshops will focus on small things that bring great joy. Gentle ways to bring positivity into your life through art feels like the right thing for turbulent times.

There may be a few gaps between workshops this year as we embark on the next big phase of building work on our house. It will unfortunately mean that my art studio will become a bedroom for a couple of months … I’m trying to be very positive about it and think of it like glamping in my garden!

Workshop suggestions please!

Tell me what simple pleasures you’d like to capture in your sketchbook

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March…and a few more birds!

Sketch and Illustrate Garden Birds

Thursday 6th March 7-9pm GMT

In this workshop we will be exploring techniques for sketching and stylising the birds you see in your garden or local park.

This is a really useful workshop if you would like to add birds to your sketchbook as part of a nature journal, or want to explore techniques for simplifying feathery forms into a more illustrative style. It’s a great compliment to Alice’s collage class too!

Pay what you can for the whole month xx

Dates for your Diary

• 7th February | Collaged Birds with Alice Melvin begins! Join any time through the month

• 20th February | Work-a-long together…snip feathers with friends! 7-8pm GMT

• 6th March | Sketch & Illustrate Garden Birds 7-9pm GMT (with recording)

• 20th March | Free work-a-long…drawing birds together!

Creative self love continues next week with an illustrated sketchbook spread idea!

Happy Journaling xx Love Lucia xx

P.S Before I go, I’ve been baking a cake a week throughout January* to cheer up the residents of Chez Ink. This week, I’m planning on these delicious looking Cranachan crumble Shortbread Bars by Esther Clarke (one of my favourites here on Substack)

*not a month for dieting, in my opinion