Good Journaling Weather

We're experiencing another arctic blast here in the Midwest. In other words--it's good journaling weather. It's the perfect opportunity to stay indoors and cut, paste, paint, and doodle to your heart's content.

I've been working in this particular journal for more than five years.

It was started in a journaling class and has continued from there. I took the class with two friends and since the instructor's name was Judith, we affectionately call these books our "Judith Journals."

It's primarily a cut and paste journal. I've also heard other people call them glue books.

The idea is to collect words and images that speak to you and then put them together in a layout that makes sense to you, or tells a story, or maybe is just visually pleasing in some way.

I collect my images from art magazines, mainstream magazines, old books, research journals, maps, wallpaper, calendars, and anything else that catches my eye. (I know there's a typo on this page but Howard Finster taught me not to worry about that.)

At one point during the 5+ years of working in this journal, I started to feel as though the work wasn't really original since the images were created by others. But then I realized that nobody else in the world but me would arrange these exact images in this exact way. Even if someone else had access to the same images, they would most likely use them to tell a different story in a completely different way.

Around year 3 or 4 of working in this journal, I really wanted it to be done. I wanted every page to be filled so that I could put it on the shelf and start a new journal.

But then something happened and I totally fell in love with the process of filling this book little by little and bit by bit. The journey really has become the destination and now I never want the journey to end.

I keep building on what's already there, and filling the few remaining blank pages. This is a journal that calls to me. And when it does, I usually drop everything else and focus on the book for a few days, or a week, or however long it takes to satisfy the need to cut, paste, arrange, and admire the view to this point. Then I'll put it away and work on other projects until the call comes again. Do you have a journal like this? One that you only work in when you hear the call or feel the pull? One that is more of a journey than a destination? One that you will be happy to never say is finished?

An Adventure So Big It Needed Its Own Journal

Last month I went on a grand adventure to visit my daughter in Bangkok, Thailand. Even though she’s been living in Thailand for over a year, it was my first trip there. (or anywhere, for that matter.) 
 

 

Before I left, I made a journal and filled it with a variety of papers and bound it with a long stitch binding.

The image on the cover came from an old book I rescued from the landfill.

I packed a small bag of art supplies that included markers, glue sticks, a travel watercolor set, a burnisher, washi tape, a ruler, and a tiny pair of kid’s scissors which was confiscated by security on the way home. 

I journaled every single day and included whatever ephemera I accumulated or found while I was there. 

 

The more I wrote, the easier it became and the more I wanted to write. 

 

I did a good job of estimating and rationing the pages because I ended up filling the book without running out or having too many empty pages.

It truly was a grand adventure, and one that I can relive over and over whenever I page through my journal.

Work in Progress

My latest project is a small book in the early stages of altering.

The pages were painted with gesso and then sprayed with pigment ink.

The base layer is made from a collection of paper that I call "The S Files." These files consist of old newspaper clippings, memos, letters, reports, and handwritten notes.

The paper has been ripped, sewn, deconstructed, reconstructed, and coated with wax.

I love how the paper becomes translucent and text and images on the reverse side show through. Although this isn't my usual color palette, I do enjoy the muted color of old paper and working in a limited palette is a fun challenge.

I plan to add more layers and texture to the pages now that the base layer is down. I'm not entirely sure where this book is headed, but that's half the fun isn't it?

The Optimist Creed

If you are a long-time visitor to lost and found, you might recall a post I wrote about a little German book I was altering called Die schonsten Sagen des Rheins. You can read the original post here. My attempts at altering the book were disastrous and I came close to pitching it on several occasions. In spite of what I put it through, that little book hung in there and just wouldn't give up. When I was finally ready to add some text, The Optimist Creed seemed like an appropriate choice.

I actually finished altering the book a while ago, but the wonkiness of it makes it nearly impossible to photograph properly. I finally gave up and scanned it instead. I hope you enjoy viewing Die schonsten Sagen des Rheins in its entirety and reading The Optimist Creed. It's wonderful advice for everyone to live by.