I'm belatedly going through Keri Smith's "Wreck This Journal" which is a craze probably about three years old now. The good thing is that the book is now only $9.00 instead of $13.00, so I could just about justify buying it for myself. I have no idea if it's still popular or not, but I'm enjoying doing this now that I finally have my "Journal." [link] For those who don't know the book gives directions for every other page, things like "Tear this page out. Accept the loss"; "Scribble wildly with abandon"; "Trace your hand"; "Fill this page with fruit stickers from store-bought fruit" "This page is for four letter words." etc.

I'm having the most problems stickifying it, however! Like the page "Put something sticky here: glue, gum, etc," or "Take this book into the shower with you," and "Go for a walk, attach this book and drag it along behind you." This book clearly wasn't meant for people to attempt during the winter and mud and snow, or else I'm having too much trouble with some of the directions. Proving therefore that I need to suck it up and DO them. (After doing the rest of the instructions that are not sticky and gross.)

I may post some pictures later and I've already put a few of the pages into practice in my own regular drawing journal, which is the whole point of doing something like this. I've painted several pages and made them water-logged and wrinkly with acrylics and watercolor, and I've torn out a page in the middle. I feel much better about it now, actually, but I have to remember to keep on working and feeling this freedom-- that to create, you have to destroy.

* * * A white canvas does nobody any good whatsoever. * * *

My favorite materials to use in it so far: Neocolor II watercolor crayons, Faber-Castell pitt brush pens, watercolors, oil pastels (then going over them with mod podge or packing tape to protect them and my fingers!), sharpies, cheap acrylic paint, mod podge, soft gel medium, tape, and post-it notes. I'm going to try bleach over dried black ink next!