Ever since I read Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way I've been writing three pages a day in inexpensive spiral bound notebooks. She calls it Morning Pages. I've found it a very helpful practice over the years. I now have boxes of these journals stacked in a closet. (Some day some poor soul is going to have to figure out whether to read them or toss them.) About the same time I started keeping a visual journal of sorts. Just images from magazines and catalogs that appealed to me, stuck in a mixed media sketchbook with old fashioned rubber cement. I didn't realize at the time how that product was affecting me. Today I dug out that old sketchbook, thinking I would resurrect it. Unfortunately, my sensitivities are such now that merely paging through that book was problematic.
The catalyst for pulling out that old sketchbook are the videos I've been watching on YouTube lately. I've gone from watching ladies stitching pages for textile books to watching ladies making books from Amazon packaging. My enjoyment of washi tape and stickers has been revitalized. I've purchased new blank books without any specific purpose in mind for them.
I don't usually enjoy writing in bound books like these but they could become full of tape and pretty pictures. Meanwhile, below are the ones that are already in use. You'll notice they all have a spiral binding.
On the bottom is the sketchbook I use for my quilt projects. Working out the designs, noting yardages for backing and bindings, that sort of thing. The red one is that cheap notebook I mentioned for my Morning Pages. Next up is another sketchbook that I've begun for needlework projects, much like the larger quilting book. The Edward Gorey engagement calendar is going to be where I put the cartoons, notecards, whatever paper comes into my hands this year that I can't bear to throw away. There is a problem however.
Where am I going to store these new books?
Hang in from the ceiling! Make a book-mobile and use clips to attach the books for easy access.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, ha! Another bookcase to buy! If there's one thing I buy as much as fabric, it's books. =) Good choice!
ReplyDeleteYou and my son would make a great pair - he has journals for all sorts of things (a series for each category). When our DIL travels (pre COVID and again someday post-COVID), she brings him journals from around the world. Perhaps box up those you can no longer browse through and store them in the attic (or other remote corner of your home/garage/etc) so your accessible shelves have more space?
ReplyDeleteI'm not a good person to ask at the moment as, in desperation, I've haphazardly shoved most of my stuff in fabric cubes that slot into Ikea cubes just to get it all out of the way.
ReplyDeleteReplace a couple of table legs with stacks of old journals? I'm looking at my sewing room and the table that has four 20-gallon storage tubs under it which have never been unpacked and which I just *know* contain several things I actually need, probably at the bottom... But I'm out of wall space for bookshelves. What to do? The Husband's suggestion is to have a bonfire. I'd be sorely tempted if it wasn't storm season and we didn't have a total fire ban.
ReplyDelete