So, as well as joining another WetCanvas project…I also joined another online book group…same person leading as the last one…new book…
The book being done this time is called “Wreck This Journal” by Keri Smith. I am late starting in…it is week 3 already, but that doesn’t really matter…especially for this book project.
When my book arrived last week and I had my first look through it (it takes just a few minutes to go through...just looking...not 'doing'!) my initial response to it was ”WOW...I must be a prude! I can’t do many of the things this book is instructing me to do.” - I hadn't expected that from myself!
You see, this isn’t your average book…it is an exercise in deconstruction…the subtitle of the book is “To Create is to Destroy”. The idea is to make you go against your better judgement, to ignore and quiet your inner critic…to get your messy, dirty, and destructive “who cares about the final product” child to come out and play. It is an exercise in letting go...
When I first read about this online book project on Jamie’s site: The Next Chapter, I thought – hey, I can do that…it should be easy…I am usually pretty good about not ‘playing by the rules’...when it comes to painting and creating, anyway…because I don’t know a lot of the rules…so ignorance is bliss, I figure…but this book wants me to do things I wouldn’t think of doing to a book…rip pages out…put food on it…yuk! How can I do that??? I am ok with writing on the pages…I have always done that with my books, break the spine…I can’t read a book without breaking the spine…fold over corners, sure…but take it in the shower? Rub dirt into it…rip and tear and in other ways destroy it? Here I run into trouble…I guess I do always want a final product…I hate sticky…how can I rip and tear it?
So, after some thought, I have decided to go through and do the things that I have no trouble with…and then I will start doing the harder and harder (for me) things…we’ll just have to see how it goes! The idea is to loosen up on your ingrained taboos...so I will try...
Some of the people in the group are getting right into it…smashing their book to the point that it rips in half, putting peanut butter on it and tossing it to their dogs…spitting and smearing food in it…at this point I can’t see myself doing that…any of that…but I will try…
Each week Jamie puts up a post on her site: The Next Chapter: Wreck This Journal, and then the group members can post a link to their weekly "Wreck This Journal" post...it is fun to see what some people are doing...amazing!
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7 comments:
Yep! I felt/still kinda feel the same as you - coming to book thinking, "piece of cake, I write in, dog ear books all the time - I don't have alot of rules"... to "yuck, I am NOT putting food in here and then carrying a putrid smelly sticky mess around with me!"
Welcome to the club, I'll be interested in where you go with this crazy book :)
Take it into the shower- I thought: NO, I won't!
Then there was this urge to drop it under water and I did.
It was great fun, although my first thought was: Oh nooooo! What have I done!
Just try, start with little steps.
There is only one thing, I won't do, giving away my favorite page. That's too hard to do.
Greetings from Germany, LaWendel
I found that same thing when I opened the book and started reading through - Oh, I'm NOT doing that page! Funny how 3 weeks into it and I'm still working on it, but put some food in the book last night -- BBQ sauce and some coleslaw. Not a lot, but enough!
I hope you enjoy the group, I love looking at what everyone has done.
Welcome to the group! It's an interesting adventure, that's for sure. Let's see what you discover!
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this one. Pick a food that smells good... like coffee grounds *g*.
Coffee grounds...now I could do that!
I can't abide sticky though!
I am still working on the things that don't gross me out...roughing it up a bit, drawing circles...you know...the easy stuff!
Glad you are part of the group! I finally took mine in the shower - it's still drying out!
By the way - something waiting for you at:
http://bunnysgirl.blogspot.com/2009/06/most-lovely-award.html
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