1,000 Journals
 
August 23, 2008
All beings are flowers Blooming In a blooming universe. Soen Nakagawa
 
In the year 2000 Someguy began the process of sending out 1,000 blank journals for people all over the globe to fill with anything their heart desired.  I can’t remember when I first heard about the 1,000 journals project, but I’ve always been fascinated by it.  When I heard that the documentary would be shown during Atlanta’s Underground Docufest, I immediately purchased a ticket.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We speak one way with words, but language changes completely when we work with images and color.  Throughout this post are pages from my own personal art journal.  My drawing skills are weak, so I always imagined my journals would  be a collaboration of cut and paste images from magazines and newspapers, but instead they mostly consist of my own drawings.   I never know what will be revealed before a blank white page.  When I am finished, I walk away feeling light clear and refreshed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Does education kill creativity?  This question was addressed in the film, but a more appropriate inquiry would point towards our workaholic culture as a whole.  From my own personal experience, education did very little to foster my creativity.  At five years old, I remember sitting at a desk in school coloring with waxy dull pigmented crayons.  
 
 
 
 
As an adult art journaling is one of the hardest things for me to do, but it yields the most valuable insights and has become an essential companion on my spiritual journey.   Sometimes truth is locked underneath thousands of meaningless words, but one page of art journaling can continue to breathe forth answers and insights months after it is done.  
 
 
 
I love looking at art journals of others and often browse through journal groups on Flicker.  Recently, I have fallen in love with Yogalila’s yoga journal pages.  They have inspired me to begin designating some pages to yoga practice.  
 
 
 
 
 
It was interesting to see people from all walks of life participating in the 1,000 traveling journals project.   It is a witness to the artist heart that resides within everyone.   If you have any interest in journaling, please see this film when it comes to your area.  You can view trailers at the Docufest website.
 
In addition to viewing the movie, I was doubly excited to learn that Someguy was in the audience that night and was open to questions after the movie!!! AND he brought along a few of the returned journals for us to browse through!! AND we were invited to make our mark in those journals if we so desired!!!  I was elated to make my little mark within the community of this large global human voice.  To date only 30 journals have been returned.  A published volume of journal entries is on sale at Amazon.