Debasree Dey

There’s a moment many art journalers experience after creating the first layer of a page. The collage papers are down. The colors feel beautiful. There’s texture, movement, atmosphere…

…and then the question arrives: “Now what?”

What should the focal point be?
Should the page mean something?
Should you start with a prompt?
Or should you simply follow intuition and see where the page goes?
For a long time, I thought there must be one “correct” way to approach art journaling. But over time, I realized something important:

There are multiple valid ways to begin a spread. And understanding these approaches can completely change the way you create.

There’s something magical about beginning a new year with creativity instead of pressure.

Instead of writing endless resolutions you may forget in a few weeks, why not create something meaningful with your hands?

This Mixed Media Zine Journal project is a playful and expressive way to capture your New Year intentions using collage, paint, fabrics, words, and layered mixed media techniques. It’s messy, intuitive, creative, and deeply personal.

I’ve now crossed the halfway mark of this year’s 100-day art journal challenge, and these last 20 days have felt noticeably different.

There’s been more flow. More confidence. More freedom in the way I approach the pages.

During this time, I ended up creating a class inspired by this very mixed media accordion book — teaching how to build a similar accordion-style structure, but with a different approach. I created 10 signatures with 10 different themes & color palettes.

And I can clearly see how that exploration started influencing the pages inside this book too.

On 22nd February, we begin this year’s 100 day project.

But this time, I’m not chasing 100 finished pieces.

Instead, I’m creating a mixed media artist book — a space dedicated entirely to exploration, layering, and showing up daily without the pressure to perform.

If you’ve ever considered a 100 day art journal challenge but felt intimidated by perfectionism, this approach may feel softer. More sustainable. More honest.

Let me share how I’m doing it.