Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Finding the time to do the things we love can be hard – especially when so many things compete for our attention, and especially during a pandemic. I’ve been hearing from students for years about how hard it is to find the time to create, and once they do, how hard it is to decide what to do. I’ve found that having a simple, short prompt is a great way to make myself do art for at least 5 minutes, and often, longer. I’ve created a set of five 5-minute art journaling prompts for you that I hope you love. And for folks who’d like a bit more structure and help, I’ve also created a series of mini 5-minute art journaling classes where I’ll lead you through step by step. You can check them out here.

5 Minute Mixed Media Prompts

Collage Assemblage: Go through your paintings and drawings that perhaps you don’t love. Cut or tear out the most interesting bits, sections, or the most beautiful colors. Glue them together on the page in a way you find pleasing. (For glue suggestions, see my favorite supplies list. )

Drawing from Nature: Draw a natural object you love. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Regardless of how much or little of your object you capture, once the timer goes off, use the remaining time to write on the same page in a circle around your object. Answer any of the following prompts: The first time I held one of these I. . . ; Describe the texture of this object in detail; If this object could speak, it would say…

5 Minute Slow Drawing Prompts

Endless waves: Slowly draw a wavy line across your page. Now echo that line, staying very close to the first. Repeat this until you finish the page or reach 5 minutes.

Let Your Pen Explore: Drawing slowly, use a squiggly line to explore the page. Let the pen explore the space and make movements that feel good, rather than focusing on what you think will look good. Notice what that’s like. I offer this prompt as a 5 minute guided class if you’d like to do it together. It’s just $2.

Watercolor Rounds: Use watercolors to paint a series of round shapes on your page. Bleed in a second similar or contrasting color to add drama. Then use a simple mark making pattern to pull the page together. This prompt is also a 5 minute guided class if you’d like to do it together.

For me, one of the big secrets of making time for art is making it easy and accessible. For that reason, I keep my drawing pens, journal, and portable watercolor kit out on my art table, so that getting started and cleaned up is a snap. If you are looking for supply suggestions, I have compiled a page where I share it all right here.

I’d love to hear and see what you do with these 5-minute art journaling prompts. You can share your work online with #mindfulartstudio and let us know what the process was like for you in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy