mini-project: self-portait girls mini-journal

Sorry! I've been so busy, any "free" time I have has been going towards painting, drawing, and reading, leaving the internet to be woefully forgotten in forth place. I've created many things I want to share, just haven't sat down to post for awhile! One of the projects done in the last week or so was this cute little mini journal created from a classification folder picked up at a store going out of business. At first, I was just going to create a fun cover and sew in some pages, but after finishing, I realized I'd created a picture of myself...a piece of myself. We all have different "personalities," pieces of ourselves that make up the complete ME. Or you, respectively. Think of them as hats: mother, sister, secretary, barista, reader, dancer, England-enthusiast, etc. By drawing these "girls," I found myself putting on hats I thought I'd taken off years ago, and found that there were pieces of me shouting to get out, at least for awhile. Here are a few guidelines for creating your own mini-journal of personalities:

1. Don't think. When doing the backgrounds or drawing the girls, let the brush do the dancing, not your conscious mind. If it wants big hair, let it do it. Drawing with ink means you can't "erase" mistakes, so let it flow. 2. Finish your drawing before asking questions of it. The meaning will be revealed in due time. 3. Create in a journal so you feel safe. It's just a journal page, right? So no one will see it. No one will judge it. No one will be buying it, etc.

Mine were created with a small round brush and sumi-e ink.

Page 1: Be Free

I really have no clue where she came from, at first. But then I realized her skirt was modeled after one I'd been dreaming of sewing for the last two weeks, and her hair was long, long, just how I'd like mine to be one day (it's only just passed my ears). Her wings come from the desire to fly free of all the drama of home, or to simply move somewhere new. Be free is my favorite expression, so it makes sense that it's there!

Page 2: Sunrise Kimono

Starting my sophomore year of high school, I've been in love with Japan -- the culture, language, landscape, history, and, yes, comics. In the years since graduating college, I've let my Japanese skills go, haven't really read any comics, and rarely listen to my Japanese music. This second portrait really tells me that the part of me once called a "Japan-ophile" is still alive and well and wants to come out more. I chose sakura, or cherry blossoms, for the kimono since I have some tatooed on my neck. And kimono usually correspond to seasons, so I chose sunrise to go with spring.

Page 3: Time to Dance

This one came as a COMPLETE surprise! As a little girl, I danced. A lot. Ballet, tap, modern. All until third grade or so. And after I moved, I danced all through high school. Lately, I've had the urge to take up tap again, and this girl showing up really meant something -- that those urges MEAN something, and that my body, so riddled with pain and arthritis from Fibromyalgia, is ready to get dancing again.

I could cry with joy.

One of the reasons I've been so busy lately is that I'm working more, something that, even six months ago, wouldn't have been possible. I haven't worked 8 hour days since, well, those first years out of high school, right when I'd recovered from my accident (that spured the FMS in the first place) and before I was slammed with the full force of the disease. I pushed myself harder and harder for years, trying to be "normal," only to make myself sicker.

This year, as I wrote in my new year's resolutions, is comitted to being healthy. Not pushing, not standing still. Health through non-action. Going with the flow. And every day, I feel better and better!

A note on videos:

I would LOVE to make you all more vids! Unfortunately, when my hard drive died, I lost most of my programs, including iMovie, which I used to record and edit videos. I do not have a back up copy. If anyone out there has a copy they could send to me, I would be eternally grateful. And would make all the videos I have in my head and am ready to post! I've discovered so many new things, branched out in new directions, and want to share them with you! I love nothing more than teaching and want to do it SO BADLY!

Share YOUR self-portrait mini-journals with me! Post in the comments and I'll come visit!

love, kira

On Limits & A Bunch of Stuff!

Limits are not necessarily bad things. Many journal for the freedom -- for the lack of rules and expectations, and shy away from anything involving rules and such. Don't be afraid! I'm not going to tell you you need restrictions and such on your journaling in order to make it better; I have a different story to tell.

In order to make discoveries, we need to be forced to think outside the box -- in this case, the box is your normal or learned methods for using supplies, techniques, etc. By sitting in our studios or desks, we have access to all we've seen. Cluttered or not, anything we'd need is right there at our finger tips: brushes, paints, pens, papers -- all those things you normally use to create a journal page or artwork. We KNOW how to get the wash effect we want with that fan brush we've had for years, how to attach that perfect photo with the gel medium or mod podge sitting right next to your favorite paints.

But what if you didn't have any of those things? What if, instead of having those brushes and papers and glues, we DON'T? Do we give up, wait until we can get to our studios and desks, or power through it?

Do I really have to ask? *laughs*

I found myself, the other night, without a single paintbrush, with only three or four colors of paint, some papers, and mod podge. Once I used the single foam brush for paint and gesso, I couldn't readily dip it in the mod podge, so I had to use my fingers. At first, I was kinda, well...what good could come of this distinct lack of supplies?

But! What a surprise! I began working differently than I have before. My layers became messy and muddled (as it's not easy to wash out a foam thingy in a cup of water), colors mixed by fate and chance instead of by design. I threw caution to the wind and began throwing things together, working crazily, laughing as I dipped my fingers into the mod podge and smeared the glue all over the pages.

When I look at them, I can FEEL everything I was feeling when I created them! Perhaps not my best, but I love them for being true.

Journal Prompt:

Try working with less. Pick 10 supplies/epherma and create a journal page using ONLY those. Learn more about yourself and your materials, and above all, have fun!

Gathered Today:

• The blue label on the first page came from the label maker I picked up at Wal-Mart today for $4.77. Yes! That cheap! The more expensive ones print the labels, but this cheap one does the punching effect I love to pieces. And! It was quite a steal!
• Dip pens were on sale at Hobby Lobbly -- I got a nice one with two nibs for under $4. I've loved the look of writing with pen and ink (my regular fountain pen doesn't get the same effect) ever since reading Sabrina Ward Harrison.
• Children's writing paper. $.97. There's one cheap buy for "found" papers.
• Fun, fun scrapbooking papers with those patterns I love so much in bright, acid-y colors.

And! Thanks to Bianca on the JournalGirl mailing list:

White ink + dip pen = BEST WHITE PEN EVAR!!! This worked better than the uni-ball, poster paint, and white-out pens I've tried. Just one dip and it wrote perfectly and opaque on the acrylic + watercolor crayon background. Thanks, Bianca!

The whole thing cost about $6. Ink with these pens will write over ANYTHING, even oil pastels.

Holiday Cards!

The offer still stands -- if you'd like a holiday card from me, email your address to me: kira {at} journalgirl.com If you'd like to send one, my address is on my contact page. I'm excited to send 'em, and might include some goodies. :)

Zine Submissions

With the second issue of Page by Page out (and yes, all but the 20 most recent orders have been sent out and are beginning to be received -- I'm so glad you like it, Paula! <- she's one of the issue's contributors!), I'm already getting started with the next issue. If you have an idea for an article, book review, material review, or idea for who I should interview next, please, let me know!! I am also looking for staff writers.  Email me to pitch a column you'd like to write for each issue -- and don't worry about being able to write -- I want passion & inspiration, not fancy words!

Journal Pics!

More photos on Flickr. And if it's easier to comment there, please, feel free!

I love you all. Have a wonderful weekend! Life's messy -- journal about it!