e bond makes digital spaces by day, handmade books by night, hangs out with trees on weekends and writes something close to poems in the spaces between. Under the studio name roughdrAftbooks—created in 2003—she makes one-of-a-kind artists books, printed pieces and drawings that merge and blur the boundaries of art, craft, design and poetry.

What is art journaling to you?

I guess the practice of keeping a sketchbook which I’d imagine is what others might call art journaling, is simply about freedom for me + a sense of daily practice. It’s just a safe space where anything is allowed and a space free of judgment.

What does community do for your art?

My circle of artist friends is an amazing sounding board for ideas, process, and projects but also business-related stuff and hurdles.

How do you live a creative life? How do you incorporate journaling into that?

Keeping a sketchbook is basically just a way of life for me. Its a daily practice that just gives me space to think, record, document and release.

What does your creative space look like? Where do you journal?

My creative space is my living room. It’s mostly jam packed with tables, equipment, and art supplies, lol

Do you have creative routines?

Ha, too many to name.

What is your favourite art journal page that you’ve ever made?

I can’t really pick a favorite but the one I chose feels free and unencumbered by rules or pre-conceived notions. The marks feel spontaneous and it contains both words and images which I always love.

Have you ever made something you don’t like? What did you do?

Oh I am sure I do, but I don’t really think too much about it. It’s really none of my business whether I like it or not. That’s not really where my interest lies. I’m also not that interested in the product I learn much more on the process side of things.

What is your biggest barrier to creating? And how do you overcome that hurdle?

T.I.M.E. I make it a priority every day. At this point it’s muscle memory but it wasn’t always that way. It takes time to make a practice really stick.

Have you ever been through artist block?

When you’ve made art as long as I have you just realize it’s part of the game. It’s just a cycle of making and not making, and both are super crucial periods.

e is one of the incredible teachers at Get Messy. She shares her art and her heart in the Season of Heart.

You’re invited to embrace the messy middle and join the best art journaling community on the internet.

What journal do you use?

I like to switch it up every year. Sometimes I make them, lately, I’ve been using blank publishing dummies as my sketchbooks.

What is your one *must have* supply?

Krink K-60 paint markers !!

What do you make when you don’t know what to make?

I usually do other art-related activities like folding paper for books, sewing book blocks, or even just drawing lines. It’s a way to just allow my hands to be moving so my mind can be free to wander.

What is the most important (non-tool) thing to your creative practice?

Whatever I am reading at the moment.

Who are your favourite Messy artists?

I love looking at people’s sketchbooks. People like Hilma Af Klimt, Eva Hesse, Lynda Barry, Jean-Michel Basquiat, etc…

Advice to new art journalers:

Try to leave the door open to ideas and uncertainty for as long as possible in your art making process. Try to be as open as you can and keep creation separate from editing and critique. These are very different and all very necessary aspects of the creative process, but they do not need to be in the same room at the same time.