Generalists as primary educators are in the position to integrate art frequently into classroom instruction (Seidel, Tishman, Winner, Hetland, & Palmer, 2009). Since their perceptions determine the quality and frequency of visual art experiences for young children, teacher education curriculum for this population is vital to the outcome of art education in public elementary schools (Garvis, Twigg, & Pendergast, 2011). In this article, the author describes a curricular method that appears to successfully develop artistic autonomy for generalists: visual journaling, an artistic process for recording personal insights with constructed images and written reflections. Derived from qualitative auto ethnography involving long-term research introspection of self (Bogdan & Biklen, 2006), visual journaling is a micro-ethnographic method that permits students to capture meaningful self-reflection of personal experiences for a designated period of time (Powell, 2010). This article makes a case for the artist journaling process in preservice teacher curriculum as a means for developing creative capacity (creative potential, identity, growth, and innovation) in teachers who will teach children in the 21st century (Carpenter, 2014). The pedagogy of the assignment included instruction about elements of visual art that provides foundational knowledge and vocabulary to analyze and interpret images generated in journals. The artist journal assignment's structure, methodology, ideology, and outcomes are described.