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If you had asked me this time last year if I had ever considered painting in my Bible, I would have laughed and told you no. Although I spent hours doodling through worship as a teenager, it never occurred to me that it wasn’t only acceptable, but necessary for me to connect with scripture in that way. Maybe you’ve only seen the passing page of an illustrated Bible on Instagram or maybe you had never seen anything like it before yesterday. I thought today I’d share a little more about what it IS and what it ISN’T.
1 Faith Journaling ISN’T just craft time, but it IS a valid way to connect with scripture. I am very easily distracted and having something to do with my hands to keep me active during Bible study and worship is the key to staying engaged. Yes, I love the act of creating something beautiful, but the connection is the important part here.
2 It ISN’T necessary to be an artist, but it IS important to be brave! It can be intimidating to scroll through photo after photo of beautiful spreads, but formal training and measurable talent isn’t necessary. If you don’t have beautiful handwriting, try printing out some of your favorite fonts and tracing them in the margins. Or pick up some inexpensive alpha stickers at your local craft store and use those instead. Don’t be afraid to get messy, for me the “process” far outweighs the “product”.
3 Spending a ton of money on trendy supplies ISN’T required, but it IS fun to start a wish list and add new products over time. Nine months in, I have an arsenal of pretty supplies and I’m always bookmarking new things for when I have an extra dollar or two, but a limited budget shouldn’t keep you from digging in. Try using things you already have on-hand — ink pens that won’t smear or bleed, your children’s colored pencils and paper scraps. Start simple and once you gain some confidence and find products that you’re interested in, you can add a few things at a time. In the beginning I used mostly colored pencils from my daughter’s stash and a few pens I had purchased for my planner. I would bookmark new supplies on Amazon and buy a few things at the end of each month. The dollar spot at Target is another great place to find inexpensive stamps and embellishments for pennies compared to craft and hobby shops.
My Favorite Bible Journaling Supplies: one column journaling bible | mechanical pencils | pigment liners | crayola twistables | white gel pen | prismacolor marker | white eraser | distress markers | washi tape | craft paint | catalyst wedge | watercolor paints | tab punch | patterned papers | rolling date stamp | black ink pad. For more details about why these are my favorite, visit this post
