Letting Go Of Perfection: Imperfect Bible Journaling

I'd love to start Bible journaling, but...

I'm not an artist.

I'm afraid I'll mess up.

It won't look like that.

I'm scared to start.

I'm too much of a perfectionist.

Do these sound like you? Believe it or not, it sounded like me too. Before I started journaling, I was intrigued by it and loved seeing the beautiful creations, but I wasn't sure I could really pull it off. Drawing? I can barely do a stick figure? Painting? Worse at that than drawing! Perfectionist? Yes, you better believe it! I was scared that all the ideas in my head would not translate onto the paper. Still, I fell in love with this idea so when I was given the opportunity to start, I went for it, and now I LOVE it. But can I be honest? More often than not, those ideas DON'T turn out as beautifully as I'd pictured. Paint gets smears, pages wrinkle and bleed and well, it's certainly not as perfect as some pages may seem. And I still love it. You see, I discovered that Bible journaling really wasn't about how good it turns out, it's about spending time in the Word. It's about glorifying God, no matter your skill levels. It's about having fun while praising God.

So, today, I wanted to share a few tips for anyone who loves the idea of Bible journaling, but has made any of those statements above:

• Give yourself permission to be imperfect. Here's the thing, pages are probably going to bleed at least once. Your lettering may not always be perfect. Paint will smudge. But you know what? That's perfectly okay. So, before making any more marks on your pages, create a permissions page. Allow yourself to be imperfect. Embrace the mess. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a reminder to you!
  
  
  
• Use coloring books! Not great at drawing? Me neither! So, while I do draw some of the more simple drawings on my own, I have also found that Bible pages tend to be thin enough that tracing in quite easy! So, if I find a design I really love in one of my Christian coloring books, I simply trace! Easy!
• Use a pencil first. When I'm doing simple drawings or hand lettering, I always draw everything out in pencil first. This makes mistakes less likely!!
• Use stickers or stamps! One of my biggest struggles in journaling is lettering. I don't have pretty hand lettering like so many others I see. While this is something I'm trying to work on, letter stickers and/or stamps are also a really great option! They not only allow me to have beautiful words on my pages, but they can give a fun splash of color as well. And they're not just limited to letters, stickers and stamps can add a LOT of fun to your journaling pages for the non-artist!
  
  
  
• Washi tape is your best friend. You know how I said that my ideas don't always turn out as I envision? Well, let me just repeat that. They don't. Often. But washi tape has become a life saver! It does a great job of covering any mistakes I'm not happy with. Page bleed through? It's great for covering that as well! It has become a go to for me to cover mistakes and to add more color and fun too!
  
  
  
• It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be you. As much as we all want to have those pinworthy pages, the most important thing to remember is not to stress about it. Bible journaling is between you and God... it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be genuine.

Have you been wanting to start journaling, but been afraid to start? I hope these tips help give you the motivation that you need to begin. It truly is such a wonderful experience, artist or not!

Are you already a journaler? What tips would you share to help beginners get over their fears?