Monday, November 4, 2013

Journals, Journals, Journals

A few weeks ago I decided to pull out all of my journals and number them in the order in which they were created.

 
So I dug them all out.  Looked at them.  And revised my plan.
{Also, I'm pretty sure there are some I missed in a cabinet I didn't check.}
I altered my plan from numbering all the journals to just the ones that have been specifically used for only random play.
It seems I have quite a few journals that are themed or I've been using for certain projects/prompts or I'm using very specific mediums in.
So everything that has been only used for a special project, theme, memory keeping, doodling or drawing got set aside.
That left me with seven.

 
Seven got numbered.
And not a single one of those seven is complete and full.
As I was putting them all back the shelf I decided to keep No.1 out.
And actually finish it.
Then a few days later I was working on a special project
{Hello big dreams.  I'm back to working towards you.}
and I had some left over paint that I didn't want to go to waste, so I pulled out another of the numbered journals to deposit it in.

 
Then one day it felt like autumn outside and so I went and got my Autumn journal,
because I haven't touched it since last autumn.
And now, as I sit here at my worktable writing this, I count six open journals;
a spellbook, a doodle journal, a December Daily and art journals numbers 1, 3 and 7. 
 
It seems pulling forgotten journals off shelves to number is a pretty productive idea.
  


11 comments:

Julia said...

Wow, what a gorgeous stack of journals! They look lovely as a display. How were you going to number them? With a hand tag? The bindings are beautiful.

Robin Thomas said...

There is a photo above I will be back for.

Oh yes.

Lorrie said...

Beautiful journals!

Photocat said...

I love everything about this post. Love the little glimpse of your cosy house. Love the journals. Don't get how to pull some out of sorting but it's of no importance. So you have seven left, and man, the one on the bottom (suspect FTB) is screaming. You have one wonderful stack of journals Alisa. How good that you took them back out and found ways to fill them up a little more. But then unfinished journals are a journey, nobody says we have to finish our books. Lovely, lovely post. Give Finn a hug from me.

Lisa said...

Thank you for writing this post as it has made me feel more relaxed in having several unfinished journals. I was thinking that people worked on their journals until they were complete and then moved on to the next. Now I feel better about signing up for a couple of upcoming journal workshops even though I have a pile waiting for my return.
By the way - your journals are gorgeous!

Cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.com said...

Oh -- what a gorgeous stack of journals. So beautiful. i love looking at them. Thanks for sharing.

Celeste Kemmerer said...

This made me laugh...I start projects that wander off in all directions, also.

Anne@ArtyGreen in Paradise said...

I just love the look of your journals, and that you have repurposed some old books. Don't you just love to pick them up again and feel the weight and how they become yours as you add layers to them. Pic is now on my Pinterest board.

Unknown said...

Man, this is awesome wow.... Anyone would start journaling after looking at this....

Unknown said...

Hey, can you share the pictures of all the journals ??

Annie's Patch Art said...

Yes, I too have a stack of journals. I realized that , apart from my daily journals, I have a textile art one, detailed sketches, collage, Pinterest ideas, Pinterest ideas actually experimented with, collected ideas for current and future projects, and, like you, probably some more lurking in a safe place. My family will inherit a massive swag of works when I go!