Wreck This Journal: Week One

(Psst- click image for larger view if you like.)

It took me a few tries to get my hands on a copy of Wreck This Journal. First I tried my local Borders store. I wandered around the store to no avail, tried the computer which told me to look in the children's department, talked to a clerk who also directed me to actvities for children. I couldn't find it but I did walk out with two cookbooks and copy of Gourmet magazine that I couldn't resist. Next stop was Barnes and Noble where, again, I needed a clerk to help me but she was very nice and actually went out into the store to locate it for me. She pulled it from the shelf, put it in my hands and walked away.

The first thing I noticed were some fingerprints around the spine. I wondered if that was part of the design and absentmindedly rubbed them off. It immediately struck me as ironic that I was purchasing a book that is meant to go through all manner of abuse and the first thing I do is rub off a few teeny grasy fingerprints.

This project may be harder for me than I thought.

Last night, I thumbed through the book and began to feel the alarm bells go off.

TAKE IT IN THE SHOWER?!!!

LET A FRIEND DEFACE IT?!!!

When I read "crack the spine," I actually shrieked out loud, CRACK THE SPINE?" plaintively.

I grew up in a house where books were considered your friends. Copies of books from my childhood are in the pristine condition I received them in. I did not tear. I did not scribble. Hell, in college, I didn't even use a high lighter in my text books.  To spare them that indignity I took a lot of notes by hand. I wouldn't even buy used books if they were all marked up. I just thought it was so rude and the things people underlined weren't always what I thought has vital anyway.

So now, I am confronted with this little unassuming book that is asking me to do all sorts of things that break my rules- bending down pages, cutting, tearing, putting in sticky substances, spilling and heaven help me- tongue painting.

Whew.

Faced with a free rainy afternoon today, I found a page I felt comfortable beginning with. I rummaged through my very neglected craft cabinet and found some watercolor colored pencils. I traced the blue hand first and then wondered what it would look like with my hand balled up, so I pulled out the orange pencil to find out. Pleased with the results, I moved into an "OK" hand position with purple. Suddenly I felt the urge for quotations and spent some time happily flipping through my Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Which then somehow led me to reading poems by Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and Dorothy Parker.

Then I was inspired to add phrases containing the word hand or hands, the parts of the hand, things you can do with the hand.

Basically, this one page unlocked my creative pathways in several directions.

I'm not sure where the book will take me next week but I'm curious to find out.

To see what other book bloggers are doing this week with the book, visit The Next Chapter: Wreck This Journal- Week 1.

Comments

[Cynthia]

ooo clever girl -- i need to think out of the box, I'm like Pooh, I think all I'm supposed to do is trash the journal any way I can -- think GI Jane LOL!!
Quotes and hands are very cool -- Barrie is always a favorite.
thanks for coming by my blog!

[The Shopping Sherpa]

I know exactly what you mean about the "Crack the spine" exercise. Which is why it was the very first thing I did, sitting in the car at various traffic lights on the way between my PO Box (where I just picked it up) and work.

It was scary but kinda fun and got me over the whole "precious" problem. Then I did the four letter words page and the office stationery page to recover.

I suggest cracking the spine and then doing the "drop from a high place" exercise.

Oh: One last tip: Do the "lick this page after eating coloured candy" and "chew this page" exercises BEFORE you take it for a walk, rub it with dirt or post it to yourself :-)

[denise]

haha. i loved this it made me laugh.
I have friends just like you.
i am a page bender, highlighter, used book buyer!!

[leah]

yay! loved your post and your hand pages! so fun!

[Barb]

I wasn't so sure about breaking the spine at first... but, I think I need to take that BIG step and put my reservations behind me.

Love your hand page!

B:-)

[jamie]

Okay, you totally had me giggling with your "couldn't get my hands on it" under your "trace your hands" page!

What a beautiful thing that right here at the beginning, creativity is opening - along with your magnificent jazz hands :)

[alex]

ooohhhh i love all the little quotes with the word "hand" in it!! very nice :)

[Genie Sea]

Love your hands compilation! I know, at first thought, this is outrageous what we will do to this little book, but there is a kid squealing with joy in all of us :)

[Amy]

I love this. I had to stop after cracking the spine. It hurt.

[KnittingJourneyman]

I LOVE this --you have done a great job to start....

[Beverley Baird]

What a great way to turn wrecking into creativity - to take it up a notch, to add your own interpretation.
Well done.

[Lisa Pijuan-Nomura]

so great. can't wait to see this after a few weeks!

[Ananda]

I felt the same hesitation before I even got the book. I was raised to love and chaerish books too. Happy Wrecking.

[Sherri]

Ooh! Tracing your hand in a non-traditional position. Very good idea!

[Kristin]

I never thought to trace my hands "doing" something! You are FAB!