Home Page: written down

ok this was really fun

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....I’ll be able to comment on Sarah’s post as I can’t get into the comments.
Hello Sarah,
I can’t just dive in, in the way that so many others seem to have managed so far but I can doodle and scribble in my ‘planning-experiment notebook’ which is part of the project/challenge just for me and will not get posted here at all.
I never intended to post everything I create, for a start I could not keep the sort of pace that others have shown they can and secondly to be absolutely frank I am doing this for myself and though I am pleased to find a group of creative people walking the same road I know that my eyes will see things they will not and visa versa and though we may pass each other and give greeting the journey is mine and the map I make of the journey will help me chart my progress, discovery and understanding and in truth that’s all I can aim for. I can’t be worrying whether anyone else will understand or like what I create frankly the feedback will be fun but in honesty I am the only one I can measure myself against and my first and foremost goal was to actually enrol to the group and secondly to use the ‘challenge’ as a prompt not a directive, edict or summons but a nudge and that has begun with my ‘planning-experiment book’ and mini experiments in 3D trying to decide on shape and form of journal. Thirdly my goal was to travel through the twenty weeks at my own pace in my own way and with my own truth and accept everyone else will be doing that too.
I don’t this as a contest or a competition just as companionable journey as I may wish to make it no more no less.
I may call myself an artist but that doesn’t mean arty fart. For me, an Artist who capitalises and puffs their chest out might as well be farting their art as it’s full of hot air and has a whiff of sulphur about it. Whereas, an artist is a pilgrim by another name. They prepare, they think, they offer up prayers-chants-affirmations and they move off on the journey with as much an open heart and mind as they can muster and a place deep at the centre of themselves seeking longing reaching towards they know not what but like the footsteps of the pilgrim the marks an artist makes on the material they are using offers them reason to believe they are actually travelling, gives them means to find what they’ve always known but have forgotten and the understanding that whatever they discover is transitory and continually transforming into another step on the road or another mark on their chosen project. That those marks can be made with any tool or material when it comes to this ‘challenge’ is a bit mind boggling for me so I am setting my own limits and then breaking them but that as they say is between me and my planning-experiment notebook.
When I hadn’t managed to open the first PDF file that Shimelle sent us I did what I do most mornings and I wrote to myself. Looking at that sheet of paper last night I realised that this will be come the springboard from which I will create my journal if you go to this link http://animatedstardust.typepad.com/daisywinifred/2005/05/stretch_into_su.html#more
you’ll see it’s no work of art in sense of getting brownie points from the art establishment or the scrapbook community but for my heart and mind its fine and for that centre of me that some people refer to as soul it’s an echo, a glancing touch and I’m plodding forward towards the end of twenty weeks…and beyond, I hope you’ll travel along with me for a while:0)

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I am so pumped and excited about this class. I have wanted to
do something like this for a long time but it is hard with work schedule, lack of finance, and living in such a remote area where
classes aren’t close to go to. I can’t wait to show you my journal
cover but I have not the best computer and our scanner is not flat bed, (part of being a redneck, I guess), but my sister-in-law
will try to help me scan it tomorrow. I used a gaited book I got from a QVC heritage kit. It is decorated in lavendar and purples and a did a collage type with lots of vintage images and ephemera. At the bottom I put a quote from a Bette Davis movie “Fasten Your Seat Belts. It is going to be a bumpy night.”
I thought this quote described how I feel about this project, both excited and challenged. I feel so inspired by all of your work and can’t wait to see more! This is going to be a good thing, I can tell! I want to thank Ali for directing me to this class on her blog!

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Who keeps making entries in my damn journal??? My spiral has both lined and unlined pages, so on the back of my first page I did a paint collage, and then there was the lined page next to it, so I filled that up with journaling… This is getting out of control. Maybe b/c I’ve kept both art and written journals my whole life, and within the last few years I’ve totally lost touch with all of those outlets. I already have a few more ideas that I know I will do today, I mean I wil seriously use up the whole friggen book if I don’t slow down!

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I have really struggled with starting this journal, so far I’ve already ripped up one page. I think I just needed to stop thinking about it all so much and just do it lol. Any way it feels good to have the first page out of the way, now I can relax and just take things as they come. Sorry if you can’t read the text, rubbish scanner I’m afraid. It’s mostly just about making a new start and admitting to not being perfect. Looking forward to seeing some more great work from everyone and seeing how my journal progresses in the next few weeks.

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After being inspired by my six year old daughter to find my inner child, I found this picture of myself at her age and added the fairy wings. I’ve always seen that technique and wanted to give myself permission to fly with this experience. My Life – “The Road Trip”. I want to take the SCENIC ROUTE. Are we there yet?
~I hope I find out if I’m “there yet” these next 20 weeks…
Jane Swanson

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at last! Managed to get started this morning. Feel I have a lot more to write other than what is on this first page but it’s a start. Enjoyed making this although it’s a bit angst ridden in places, hence the blurring. Lots of ‘ing’ words in the daisy shape – my dd has been wanting to do that with my chalk inks for ages now, I cannot say no any longer!!!

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......its all artsy fartsy nonsense, I can’t do it.

I’ve spent the morning trying to create my first page and its just impossible. I can’t paint, I can’t draw, everything I do looks twee and I have this funny knot inside because its just not working. If I use paint or pencils in looks like my 6yr old has done it. If I just try and write it looks too plain and I loathe my handwriting. And as for the content – it all just feels false, a lot of group-huggy bullsh*t .

I’m so envious of those of you who have created such wonderful pages – I think I’ve just wasted $30 on something thatb just isn’t going to work for me :0(

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I am loving everyones journal that they’ve uploaded so far….........as for me, i haven’t got my journal yet – busy week hasn’t afforded me the time to go shopping to find THE right journal, but tomorrow i will have time, hooray!!!!!

Just wanted to pop in and say Hi to all and involve myself in this site before i feel it’s forged ahead without me….......will be away for the weekend with my church so am going to take my journal with me and hopefully beautiful surroundings, worshipping god and good fellowship will give me the ooomph to take the plunge and get started (and not worry that i’m doing it wrong).........nice to meet you all…........

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so here’s my first entry in my aRt Journal. i’m soooo excited about this. i have written in “traditional” Journals for years and also keep a cReative journal which is a cOllection of magazine cLIPPINGS AND source of inspiration for my scRapbooking prOjects. This Journal is a whole new ballgame for me. This first entry is kinda like my Mission statement for this journal. my writing is erratic so to save you from squinting the journaling reads: “i am drawn to EXPRESSING myself through WORDS,art,collage and cOlor and i am often torn between a graphic/linear style and ERRATIC collage. i am seArching for BALANCE and hope to s t r e t c h myself and eXplore the many facets of the aRtist in me… i am a self-proclaimed PERFECTIONIST and i hope to let go of that SILLY notion as i SPILL myself on these pages in the coming weeks. I am also on a QUEST to reconcile the many facets of my life and find some kind of BALANCE in my busy and hectic life. Lately I’ve been feeling like a pen running out of ink in mid-sentence or like an unfinished journal-entry because of my responsibilities at work and at home. I am TORN apart at the edges and FALLING apart at the seams. i don’t have enough ENERGY nor TIME to do the thing that i love most which is ART. I HOPE this journal will prove to be therapeutic for me to help me release some of that CREATIVE eNergy i so desparately wish to EXPRESS. let yourself grow into the ARTIST you have always been….”

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