Hi friend!
This week we are going over some more Bible Journaling 101. Today I am going to answer some frequently asked questions about Bible Journaling! Even if you have been Bible journaling for a while, you may still find an answer to a question you didn’t know you had! So let’s jump in!
What is Bible journaling and why do it?
Bible journaling is just a term for creating “art” in your Bible. But really it is so much more than that. Bible journaling can be anything from writing some notes about what you are reading in a separate notebook, creating a couple doodles in the margins of your Bible, or creating full paintings in your Bible! Its purpose is truly just to get you spending time in the word and worshiping him, through an art that is meaningful to you!
As for why to try it? Well for me, Bible journaling has completely changed and improved the time I spend in the word. This is because of a couple reasons. First, IT”S FUN! I’m much more eager to open my Bible when I get to create something in it! And second, It helps to understand and process the Word when I get to use the right side of my brain at the same time- I mean, there’s science stuff behind this!
I am not creative or artistic at all! I don’t think I will be able to do it.
You do not need to be artistic to do Bible journaling! When I started a little over two years ago, I did not consider myself artistic at all! I thought my artistic talent was limited to stick figures and heart doodles. Now I have a blog and youtube channel to teach Bible journaling, and even have an Etsy shop where I hand-paint Bibles! Like, WOAH GOD!
So, If you are not artistic, I encourage you to take the step and create something- even just a small doodle! There are also a lot of great and easy techniques that anyone can use to Bible journal! Check out my post on “Bible journaling when you are not ‘artistic'” HERE, for more on what you can do! There is even a free printable!
And remember, the most important thing is just to spend time with the Lord.
What Bible do you use/ which one should I get/ do I need a special Bible?
You totally do not need a special Bible to get started, you can use whatever Bible you have and journal in a separate paper/notebook.
However, if you want to create directly in the Bible, I suggest getting a Journaling Bible. Journaling Bibles have thicker pages than a normal Bible’s and they have either wide margins or full blank pages to do your “art” on.
*They even have a bunch of Journaling Bibles with pre-printed, colorable, art in the margins- which is a great option if you are “not artistic”.
I have a post that lays out all of the Journaling Bible options and how to choose the best one for you HERE.
I personally have three Journaling Bibles that I have been filling up over the last few years (but of course you DO NOT need three haha)-
A Crossway ESV Double Column Bible- This is my #1 recommended because I feel like the pages hold up the best for all kinds of media.
A Zondervan NIV Journal the Word Bible
and a Crossway ESV Interleaved Bible- This is the only Journaling Bible that has full blank pages on every other page (Which is great if you don’t feel comfortable covering the text in the Bible. See #5)
What pen is that? Or what supplies do you use?
I have a post that goes over all the supplies I use and think are awesome! All the supplies listed there are tried-and-true to work well with a journaling Bible. You can find that post HERE.
I have a post specifically on the best pens to use as well HERE.
The supplies I use for 90% of my Bible entries are my Tombow fudenosuke Brush Pen, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors, and a Sakura decorese gel pen.
If you are just starting out, I suggest choosing one medium you are comfortable trying and stick with that one for at least 3 months to really get a hang of it. Some of the best supplies for beginners are colored pencils, watercolors, stamps, or stickers.
Do you cover the text of your Bible? How can you read it? Isn’t that disrespectful?
This one is a bit of a soft spot for me. I have gotten quite a bit of backlash on social media on pages where I cover up the text. (I mainly use watercolor, so you can still see the text in the background but it is a lot harder to read.)
Whether or not to cover the text is a completely personal decision! Many many Bible journalers do not like to cover the text in their Bible- and that is great! But some of us do cover up the text now and then- and that is great too!
It is all about your own walk with Christ, so create the art you feel called to make! Sometimes I feel that I need to stick to the margins or use my Interleaved Bible to keep from covering the text. But other times, I feel pulled to create on the whole page.
The big thing I want to note is that I, and most other Bible journaling friends I know, have a Bible to study from, and a separate Bible for art journaling.
So do what feels comfortable and right to you!
How do you create pretty lettering so easily?
I think you know the answer to this one- Practice!
I started learning calligraphy right around the time I started Bible journaling, mainly so that I could address my own wedding invitations! Looking back, I think addressing 150 envelopes really helped me to learn calligraphy! So just give yourself time!
I do have tutorial posts on faux calligraphy and brush pen calligraphy– both posts have free practice sheets for you to have and use as well!
And I have a bonus post on 10 easy hand-lettering styles with a free printable as well HERE!
Do the mediums/pens you use bleed-through the page? How do you prevent that?
Well, with the right supplies, I find it is not necessary to prepare the Bible page. I only ever prepare my page if I am using stamps or a pen I know will bleed-through. With my watercolors, acrylics, or tomboy fudenosuke pens that I use the most, I have never had any bleed-through issues.
However, if you want to make extra sure that you won’t get bleed-through or your page tearing, you can always prepare your page beforehand. Most all Bible journalers use Clear Gesso to do this.
It is a simple application, simply paint on a small amount of gesso evenly on your page or the margin you are working in. I have a post and video on how to prepare your page HERE.
If you ever aren’t sure how the supply you are using will act with the page, test it out on a page in the back of your bible!
Where do you find your Bible journaling inspiration?
Sometimes as I am reading a scripture and praying about it, I will automatically have inspiration pop into my head. But most of the time I get inspiration from what I see outside/ around me, and of course seeing what other people are doing on social media. There are so many amazing artists and Bible journals that are just melting pots of great inspiration!
Of course, if you do get inspiration from another person and decide to post your social media, it’s always nice to give that person a shout out and tag them 🙂
In risk of making this post seem like I am just linking to all my other blog posts ;P – I have a post on finding inspiration with a video flip-through of my Zondervan NIV Journaling Bible HERE.
Well, I hope this helped answer some of your questions! If you have any other questions I haven’t answered, let me know in the comments below! I’d love to answer them.
