TITLE: Wreck This Journal
AUTHOR: Keri Smith
PUB DATE: June 2007
PAGES: 192
PUBLISHER: Perigee (Penguin)
ABOUT THE BOOKS:
This book was created for anyone who has ever had trouble starting/keeping or finishing a journal/sketchbook. By forcing ourselves to wreck it on purpose, the “journal as an object” loses it’s preciousness, and allows us the feeling of completion. This book was created for every person who has looked at other artist’s journals and said, “I wish I could do that. I’ve started dozens of them but didn’t stick with it.” or, “But the journal itself is so beautiful, I don’t want to wreck it with my ideas/handwriting/drawings.” Or, “I feel pressured to write something good.”
In this book good does not exist. The goal is to fill it up, to shift your perception of the blank page and the journal itself into a place for experimentation. Into a place where you just get stuff out onto the page. A place to start working against your better judgment. To do those things you were taught to never do (make a mess, destroy, fold down pages, write in books, play with dirt). This book IS the place.
Each page of Wreck This Journal is filled with prompts telling you how to systematically ‘destroy’ the entire book.
You can check out Keri Smith’s blog by clicking on the links below:
http://www.kerismith.com/blog/ http://www.wreckthisjournal.com/
MY THOUGHTS:
Growing up I always had a diary and the summer before I started high school I started to keep a journal which I would write whatever was going on in my life, doodling, adding pictures or little trinkets to it and for some reason once I got married I stopped journaling.
Since having lunch with Linda Better With Books about two weeks, we went into this store which sold pens, journals, scrapbooking papers etc and since that point I have been thinking about getting back into journaling again.
I didn’t buy anything that day only because I found any of the nicer journals that I liked to be a little expensive for my liking so I have been looking around trying to find some nice cheap journals and I was lucky enough to find two at Chapters which I liked and you will be able to see them Sunday when I post my books bought meme.
The reason for this book was because I had goggled “JOURNALS” and I stumbled upon Keri Smith’s blog plus a few others who covered this book on their blogs. Although this was a project I think Keri did with people in 2009. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the pictures on the Wreck This Journal and decided I wanted to take part.
This isn’t your typical journal that you write your thoughts in, doodle in, adds pictures or trinkets etc and keeping it in pristine condition. This journal will make you break the rules, get dirty and basically destroy a book.
For me flipping through it I have to admit that I cringed, one of the tasks is to crack the spine of this book, I have never cracked a spine in a book before. Cracking the spine of a book is a huge pet peeve of mine. I cringe when I see a spine cracked in a book or someone cracking the spine of a book.
So this will be a fun task for me as it will force me to destroy this book, break the rules of which I have instilled in myself regarding books (keeping a book in pristine condition, never writing in a book etc) and to unleash my creative side which I have to admit will be fun as I love to be creative and haven’t really done anything creative in years. (I love to draw and create.)
When I picked up the book I decided that I will share my journey of Wreck This Journal with my readers. I plan on doing my write ups on a Sunday and showing you what I have done during the week with the journal. I think it will be one suggestion a day or more and run this feature for a month.
If you would like to take part you can go to Wreck This Journal site to see how you can do it. You don’t have to buy Wreck This Journal to take part, having any kind of journal will work and you can be any age to do so.
If you thinking about taking part let me know so I can check out your blog, all you have to do is leave a comment here and have fun. Check back Sundays to see what I have done with mine.
The above picture is what Wreck This Journal looked like on Sunday(March 7th)before I started doing anything to it.
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This should be fun! I’ve started a diary or journal so many times, but I’ve never stuck with it. Good luck to you!
Cindy, I love this idea (and am completely terrified by it too). Wreck a book? Me? Not sure I can do it. I’m seriously considering joining you on your weekly attempts anyway.
It’s funny because I stopped journaling when I got together with B. I miss it!
Kathy- I think looking back the only ones I completed was after high school for a few years.
I have to admit since reading the book Waking up in the Land of Glitter I have wanted to get back into my art again.
Avis- You have no idea how terrified I am to do this. It goes against all I believe in. Destroying a book is practically breaking my heart LOL You should take part in this.
I miss journaling too and I really want to get back into it again.
I’m just not sure about the weekly commitment (plus I need to buy the book first), but this is the kind of thing that would be fun to do with someone else, especially since we’re both pretty much in the same head space when it comes to “wrecking” a book!
Very cool, Cindy. I’m looking forward to following your progress.
I have this book, too (along with Keri’s other books: “How to be an Explorer of the World” and “This is not a book”).
I’ve started a few things in the book (collecting fruit stickers, stamps, writing down 4 letter words) and have been thinking about how to accomplish some of the others. I don’t know if I can do some of the things she suggests, like crack the spine. *shudder*
I’ll give some thought to sharing my progress on my blog. Not sure about that yet.
Anyway, good luck with your journal. Thanks for sharing. Have fun.
Avis I really hope you will take part in it but I won’t pressure you. I sent you an email 🙂
Marie it would be great if you took part let me know if you decide to. Thanks for the comment.
I love this! I have never heard of this before but am interested in this idea!
Hi Cindy:
this is such a cool idea! Not sure I am brave enough to participate, but I am dying to know your thoughts and feelings as you go along.
Avis, I think you should join Cindy and see what happens 🙂
Very cool. Look forward to following your book wrecking. I saw this in B&N back during the holidays. I wreck books all the time so for me the idea is a novelty – but for those who need a permissible book to wreck I think it is great!
I have an award for you on my blog 🙂