The last two years, overwhelmed by the ongoing pandemic, from losing jobs, social upheaval, and being unable to travel, I started to work on a visual journal as a means of self-care. It had been weeks into lock down, and was more and more obvious to us – that travelling isn’t likely going to be possible any time soon. Restless at home and anxious to escape during these times, some people have been occupying themselves through binge watching new shows, building home gyms, but how else can you spend your time that can be more rewarding?
I began documenting and sharing my travels. Drawing and illustrating is one of my favorite pastimes ever since I was in Secondary school. It turned out to be such a stress reliever!
Mine is what I call hard copy. You can hold it in your hands, it’s low tech, portable, no sound, your audience has to be present in the room to experience your trip. This comes in a book format. Sharing is local, your home, office, a pub, where you typically would be present and can narrate and build a story around it, answer inquisitive questions, give a different narration every time.
This was the original means that a traveller would write and document their trip. It was done hundreds of years ago. It was very fashionable in the 1900’s when well-to-do people went on grand trips.
I’ve done mine as a souvenir and it is personal and fun. Being the no-tech way (doesn’t require batteries) I have used my photos from my various trips to sketch in my visual journal. It’s a form of scrap-booking but hard to share around and edit later. It is still a work in progress as I look for more memories…….
Art has always given me ways to express myself and travel back to the places I’ve been through painting, and drawing. Remember that art doesn’t have to be beautiful or perfect. Like any other skill, it comes with practice and time, which you could utilize now while you have it. Art has also given me inspiration on how I can express myself in a more creative way as well, and hopefully, it has inspired you as well to dig through your past travels and express that trip in a different way.