L.K. Ludwig looked for a new way to unleash her creativity several years ago after a medical ailment left her unable to continue her passion of photography.

The Zelienople woman found art journaling — a process of using mixed-media illustrations to compile a journal or diary.

These aren't ordinary journals, however. Ludwig's art journals contain few written words but rely on paintings, pictures, collages and even newspaper headlines to express her feelings or thoughts for that day.

Ludwig, who said she compiles more than 100 art journals a year, knows something about the subject.

She's currently writing a fourth book, published by Quayside Publishing Group of Massachusetts, about different methods and techniques in her journals.

It's a passion, she said, to work with images and to continue using them as a form of art even after her eyesight limited her artistically. For Ludwig, it's an alternative, creative way to tell a story through colorful visualizations instead of bland, black text on a white page.

It's also a way to make portable art projects she can take with her anywhere at any time and not be confined to a studio.

"It's my vehicle of expression," Ludwig said. "I have three small children now, and art journaling is just one of those things that lets me take my artwork everywhere."

Ludwig said she never has a lack of material for her journals. She frequently uses pictures of places she's visited and landmarks she's photographed. She also uses paintings, collages and other black and white pictures in the random compilations in her journals.

Art journaling is also extremely appealing, she said, because it doesn't require an expert's touch or an art scholar's knowledge.

"This is something anyone can do, and you don't have to be a traditional artist," she said. "You can express yourself with just a camera and a pencil if you like."

Her last book served as a basic guide for rookie art journalists. It included dozens of examples from other artists on how they constructed their journals and different methods and tools to create different scenarios.

Some of the examples showed the beauty in chronicling everyday events, like leaves swirling in an autumn wind or children playing in a park.

Others deal with more serious, life-changing events, like the birth of a child or the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Journals featured in the book included Ludwig's vivid recollections of the terrorist attacks and how she dealt with the tragedy in the weeks that followed.

She used dozens of newspaper pictures and clippings, accompanied by overlapping personal paintings and drawings, to release pent up emotions and unexpressed fears on paper.

"It was my way to express what was underneath the surface," she said. "I can look back now and see what was going on even if I didn't understand it at first."

Ludwig said that's one of her favorite things about art journaling. She can simply open the pages of a journal that's more than 10 years old, and it will take her directly to the thoughts and feelings she was trying to relay on that certain day.

Winnie Prentiss, a marketing manager with Quayside Publishing, said Ludwig's book is the starting point for thousands of enterprising artists who need a basic, how-to kind of book to get their feet wet.

It's a tribute to the growing art journaling market, she said, that Ludwig is currently working on her fourth book for the publishing company.

"There's just a much bigger area for art journaling now as it grows and becomes more of a mass interest for crafters and artists instead of a niche," she said. "And a lot of it has to do with the growth of the craft industry and its evolution."

Prentiss said art journaling is the new "buzz" around artist circles, and Ludwig acts as a guiding light for people new to the game. That's why the publishing company keeps giving her book deals and why she'll probably get more in the future.

"She's really well-known and has a great following," Prentiss said. "A lot of people look to her work for inspiration because it really is beautiful. I'd say a lot of artists really look to her for direction."

The books are available at any Barnes and Noble store or Borders as well as over the Internet at www.amazon.com.

Her previous books are titled "Collaborative Art Journals and Shared Visions in Mixed Media," "True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling" and "Mixed-Media Nature Journals: New Techniques for Exploring Nature, Life, and Memories."