Friday, June 5, 2009

Wreck This Journal: Where to Begin?


Beginning is always the hardest part, isn't it? I pulled out my copy this morning and flipped through the pages, some writing prompts, a page for four letter words (The Kid was delighted with this one), burn this page (what?), lick this page (huh?). My palms were suddenly sweaty and I wondered what in the world I'd gotten myself into.

I am not one of those pristine book kind of people. I write in the margins. I eat toast while I'm reading, sometimes propping the book open with the butter dish. Open almost any book on my shelf and some sand might fall out, or sawdust, or crumbs, or blades of grass, so I'm not hung up on the concept of "defacing" a book. I am a little intimidated by some of the brilliant, arty women who are participating in this book group.

But I want to play. I want to get out there. I want to be brave and silly and stretch.

I put the book down and went into the kitchen. Slicing strawberries, I came across one that was mushy and shaped a little like a cloud. I used it as a stamp to decorate my title page.

Baby steps.

19 comments:

  1. I was not excited! I just don't have a chance to say stuff like Holy cr*p - wait I was excited.

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  2. I'm glad you're going to help me with that page!

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  3. I am going to REBEL by eating toast, writing in my journal and READING A BOOK ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Ha! So there, tidiness! Take that!

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  4. Well, the brilliant arty women intimidate me a bit, but this is one thing I figure I can't screw and may even excel at!

    Your strawberry prints are so artistic!

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  5. Fantastic! It's so interesting to see the impact of the different challenges. I find the food one so hard and there you are having fun with strawberries the very first day!! Thank you for the inspiration!

    :)

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  6. Fantabulous start! :)
    Looking forward to a summer of wrecking with all of you at TNC!
    miracles,
    k-

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  7. A strawberry stamp! Fabulous! And incredibly creative :)This is going to be great! :)

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  8. I must admit I'm already having fun and plotting my next "wreck."

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  9. I'm a total eat-and-read person. My best friend (who borrowed my books in college, always) always took delight in my smudgy fingerprints! She said it made reading the book all the better.

    I, too, am a little intimidated by all these dazzling women! But I love your strawberry stamps!

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  10. The whole food and book thing is gross to me, so I liked seeing what you created here with one of my favorite fruits :). I bet the page smells yummy.

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  11. Wow, you'all really know how to make someone feel at ease! Thank you.

    Today I smeared icing from a birthday cake in the journal. It was green!

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  12. Wreck on!
    I haven't been able to manage the food bits yet--and my 8yo dd had too much of a blast chewing the one page...but this is so cool....more to explore...

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  13. excellent start!! can't wait to see how you "wreck" :)

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  14. I love the strawberry kisses on your page. It's a loving way to wreck your journal:)

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  15. Awesome awesome strawberry clouds. i love it.
    coolio!

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  16. This sounds like such fun...I want to play, too...

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  17. I'm giggling at the ripple effects - strawberry 'clouds' and 'kisses' in the words of a couple of your readers already - LOVE IT! And how resourceful of you to use the fruit you might otherwise have just tossed in the compost bucket! Waste not, want not.

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