Side Project-Keep a Book

           
Welcome Back!                                                                                                   
Before we embark on our class have a little look at this one optional side project. I would like you to consider keeping a Creative Source Book; it can be a sketchbook, journal, notebook, scrapbook or a combination of all of these elements. You may already do this in which case you may consider ways to make it more effective.
In the Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin wrote about returning to activities that made her happy as a child and trying to relive these experiences as an adult. One of her favorite activities was keeping “Blank Books.” In the pages of these blank hardcover books she would write, draw, and collage pictures, and remnants or collectables from her life.
 As an artist Ive always wanted to keep one of those fabulous sketchbooks some of my artists friends have, the kind that could be featured in Drawing From Life, The Journal As Art by Jennifer New, (which I am currently reading.) But Ive always been more inclined to draw on loose paper which isn’t near as satisfying when you are wanting to look back at this work later on.  In art school we would have to keep sketchbooks for every course and hand it in to show our work processes, (sometimes we would fake this by creating the record after the work was done!) While these records were not always honest they are an interesting record of what I was about when I was in my twenties and I both enjoy and dread looking at them. I’ve been striving lately to create some new records and capture my ideas for projects and paintings. 
 Ive solved my sketchbook reluctance by adapting Gretchen’s Blank book idea suit myself. I find that if I don’t treat the sketchbook as precious and feel free to paste things into it or make notes in it the creative energy flows much more freely through it. Here are some ideas for creating your own Creative Catcher, Journal, Blank Book, or whatever you want to call it. 
 -Spend some time decorating or making a new cover with paint, paper, or whatever you can think of. Make the book itself a work of art and consider making pockets out of envelopes for the inside covers.
-Don’t buy a new sketchbook if you can help it, get an old partially filled one and flip it over, working from the back.
-Consider making your own book
-Instead of a sketchbook or other type of blank book, convert an old hardcover book. You could also use an old photo or card album and cut a bunch of paper to fit into the pockets.
-Try not to  rip pages out, paste something over a rejected page or paint some or all of the drawing with gesso or other type of white paint so you can draw over it.
-Don’t use a book so large you wont carry it around with you.