Jamie Fingal: A Return to Visual Journaling

By Artful Reflection Magazine

In August 2020, artist and quilt designer Jamie Fingal reconnected with one of her most meaningful creative practices: visual journaling. Amid the stillness of pandemic life, she turned to daily drawing and painting as both expression and meditation — a practice that soon became a cornerstone of her well-being and creative momentum.

Nine Months of Sketching

For over nine months, Fingal maintained a dedicated rhythm of filling her sketchbooks with bold illustrations, joyful compositions, and expressive visual notes. Her pages became a record of emotion and imagination — houses, birds, hearts, and abstract symbols all stitched together in ink and watercolor.

“It’s been such a source of happiness,” she reflected. The act of showing up daily with pen or brush in hand created a sense of continuity in a year marked by disruption.

Art as Emotional Architecture

Fingal’s drawings often reflect her background in textile art. Even on paper, her style echoes the structure of quilts — blocky layouts, repeated motifs, and a fondness for symbolic forms. Each page is a story in miniature, built from visual rhythm and heartfelt color.

Her illustrations weren’t planned masterpieces, but spontaneous meditations — created not for exhibition, but for presence. The result was a body of work that felt intimate and fearless.

A Creative Lifeline

In a year defined by isolation and uncertainty, Fingal’s visual journals became a reminder of the power of practice. Art became a lifeline — a way to process the days, to find quiet joy, and to anchor herself in moments of calm creativity.

Her willingness to share this process inspired others to do the same. Many of her readers picked up pens, filled blank pages, and found small acts of creation to be profoundly healing.

Explore More

To view Jamie Fingal’s original post and explore pages from her visual journals, visit:
Jamie Fingal Designs