Flutter Wreck

Definitely needed to wreck today. I didn't pass my driver's test, and compounded with stress about school and moving, I was just a frustrated mess of a girl. I'm much better now, and have another driver's test scheduled for Thursday. I WILL get this thing.

I think this has been my favorite activity. The instructions were to tie a string to the spine, and swing the book wildly banging into walls. I didn't actually bang into walls - but oh was it wild! I poked a hole through the spine with a nail and tied a string through it. Silly me, I thought it was smart to find the place in the spine where the two halves of the books separate (is it clear I don't know much about bookbinding?). Actually, this just made all the glue, and in fact the entire book, split in half. The pages were barely hanging on.



(You can also see my chocolate sauce print page)

I decided not to fix it before the swinging. Best. Decision. Ever.

I went outside, in the newly crisp evening air, and swung. I not only swung, I TWIRLED - PAGES FLUTTERED. I thought I lost some pages into a nearby bush, but no. Thank-you, page numbers. Oh, the destruction was so delicious. And the sound of the pages was like nothing else - I felt like a fairy. I needed this so much today.

With the help of red thread and duct tape, it's now back in journal form; new and improved. I may have put the middle section in upside-down and backwards, I just may have. Why? Because I can.






I also did some journal pages, but I don't think I'm quite ready to share them yet (mostly because they aren't scanned and I'm lazy like that). It's funny how things can just appear, and be exactly what I need to see or create. It's nice to know that my doodling hands and brain can take care of me.

Kinks in Plans and Organs

So, I've been in the hospital for the past few days witha kidney infection, and apparently a kidney stone? What? This makes no sense to me. I'm doing ok now, but am still tired, grumpy, and irritable as I recover. This has definitely put a kink in my plan to pack and clean and do good things for the world. Ah well.

Before I was buckled over in pain, I actually finished a painting. A painting that was made not in a book, but with the idea that people look at it! I can't post pictures though, because it's a surprise.

I've also been wrecking my journal. This page said to cover it in circles. I like circles and dots - they come up a lot. So, I decided to focus on the covering part. Circles I can do, with lots of appealing space. Against my instincts at various points, I just kept going. Of course a strange little voice kept popping up telling me that I'd "ruin" it, which is silly considering the journal. but hey, that's why we wreck things. To find those silly little voices and gleefully step on their toes. In the most caring, thankful of manner, of course.





Only ONE WEEK until I see Alex!
Which means only two and a half weeks until I go to England? Yikes.

Wreck This Journal

I got a new plaything the other day. It's a book by Keri Smith called "Wreck This Journal." The subtitle is "to create is to destroy." In the front of the book there's a warning:

"Warning: during the process of this book you will get dirty. You may find yourself covered in paint, or any other number of foreign substances. You will get wet. You may be asked to do things you question. You may grieve for the perfect state that you found the book in. You may begin to see creative destruction everywhere. You may begin to live more recklessly."

It's really a lot of fun. And so, some pictures.

(getting ready to burn!)

Hm, wow. That's a lot of pictures for one post. I had quite a backlog, though. I've had this blog for a few days but have been too lazy/scared to actually post things. Once I get into a habit of uploading pictures as I go, they will be less overwhelming I suspect. One of the things this journal looks to explore is impermanence. So, since I'm going to be doing things like taking it in the shower with me, I thought it would be fun to record-as-I-go. From now on I'll also include observations and more commentary on the experiments.