Thank you all again for your wonderful podcast. I’m looking to the next one!

Kim Calloway, from Simi Valley, CA

I too had to laugh about “skipping the first page”. I have struggled with journaling over the years but have NEVER been able to start on the first page. I’m not sure why – I guess I haven’t wanted to see my handwriting immediately. I am currently in a written journaling mode as I am finding that some of what I want to say/purge/ express is not blog worthy. We’ll see how long that lasts. I am much better at typing!

My other thought (so far) came when Julie mentioned Ali Edwards and her December Daily . I recently borrowed Ali’s book Life Artist from the library and am working my way through it. Her opening page describes how she came to claim the term “Life Artist” vs being a scrapbooker. In her words, “A life artist, most simply is someone who captures life and creates art”. That totally resonated with me and I believe goes hand in hand with this episode. I scrapbook, blog, print pictures and post in creative ways and am finding that scrapping alone just isn’t cutting it. I don’t see myself as a doodler or being able to just “let loose” and yet this episode has really challenged me to reconsider. Maybe we just need to try.

Judging from the comments, Ali’s approach to project life may also be something for people to go take a look at. It certainly has a different take on the standard photo a day and includes “life” as a whole. Yet her album is definitly creative and I would consider it art as well.

Anyway, thanks again for the continued inspiration and great discussion. I’m off to listen and create!

When my students ask questions that start with ‘does it matter if…’ or ‘can I….’.'put them crooked instead of straight?’ for example the answer is – I don’t know, does it matter to you? Which way do you like it? I tell them that if anyone looks at their album and complains that the photos are all crooked then they can slap them up the side of the head – or perhaps with less violence just smile and say ‘I know! Isn’t it artistic?’

My Project Life is a project LIFE, some weeks nothing happens, some weeks are chock a block and I am ok with that because that’s how life is. I LOVE it because I can record bits about those snap shots that I won’t scrapbook, so they are still recorded and I don’t feel pressured to scrap every photo I take. In ten years time it won’t matter that there is no photo for a particular day, what will be treasured is the days I did record, and the ones that are missing can just remain a happy mystery.

What it boils down to for me is I have such limited time to be creative that I refuse to spend any of it follow the stupid rules! This is art, and art is anything you want it to be. I have permission to ignore the rules, play and be who I am, do what I want and enjoy every second.

I did what you did — I just use my Project Life for random weeks here and
there and I mix those pages into my regular albums (though mine was from
2009 and it didn’t cost me even an arm ;) ).

I’m excited to check out your link. Thanks for sharing!!

Firstly, for people who want to start an art journal but don’t know “how” to, there’s an online shop called Blue Bazaar here in Australia (my favourite online scrapbook store) which has been doing a fabulous Art Journal Challenge, giving step by step instructions… the site is: http://www.bluebazaar.com.au/blog/category/art-journal/

Secondly, the tip about not starting your journal on the first page was an “aha” moment for me. That fear of messing up the first page is probably the main reason I’ve never tried art journalling. Thanks so much. Being a linear, organised (CPA) type person, this would never have occurred to me, so thank you Julie & Donna!

Finally, I found myself nodding in agreement with Julie’s comments about Project Life. I bit the bullet and bought the kit this year (the exchange rate meant it only cost an arm instead of an arm & a leg) but soon ran into the problem of what to put in all those pockets–there are just so many of them! I simply can’t find enough “stuff” to put into them (obviously my life is too boring, lol). I’m still grappling with how to continue, but I think I might use the divided pages to record random weeks which I don’t want to scrapbook and then I’ll just put the pages into my normal albums. An expensive experiment, but oh well, it’s only money…

Thanks again for such an interesting discussion. I look forward to PRT every week. And btw I consider the money I’ve spent on my Paperclipping membership to be money very well spent :)

If I remember correctly, I don’t think I realized you were asking why I
specifically would use the smash books. I think I thought (until now) that
you were asking about the general You.

I am excited about what they represent and how they break the confining
lines we’ve built around how we define scrapbooking. And I’ve thought about
which ones I would get if I were to get one. But I think I personally prefer
to use my old book. I really like it. :)

P.S. My name will come up with vail-brown, but it is just brown. i sign in with facebook, so i used my maiden names so highschool friends could find me. ;)

I just tested both and they’re working for me. Want to try again?