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Since I was approximately ten years old, I have been documenting my life. I kept diaries when I was a child, all through my teens (oohhh, how those descriptions of boys I had a crush on make me laugh now) and into my adult life. I still write, but not as much as I used to because I document my life in my art journals now (especially in my Chronicles.) This year, I decided to play along with The Documented Life Projectย and make one art journal page with the weekly prompts. I started out OK and kept up with the prompts until May… but during the Summer Months I got behind. I am now catching up with the prompts and made three more pages in the last weeks. I presume I will not have all the prompts finished by the end of the year, but I will definitely finish the 52 prompts in 2016 (I’m not sure if I will join next year’s Project though…)
So, here’s three pages I created with July/August prompts.
July 18
July Theme: Ephemera
Art Challenge: Photographs & Memories
Journal Prompt: “All that I have to remember you” – Jim Croce
This is me at 21 on the photo. I was a student at the Art School and all students had to take an extra course on photography. Now I learned how to develop and print photos in a dark room from my dad already. When I told the teacher I had those skills, he asked me to proof it by printing a photo series. My friend Thea and I went outside, she took a number of photos of me and I used the dark room at school to print them. I got my certificate without having to follow all the lessons.
July 25
July Theme: Ephemera
Art Challenge: Real Life
Journal Prompt: At this Moment
“Real Life” has changed a lot in the past two years… selling the house, moving to another place… dealing with burn out et cetera. This page shows living with those uncertainties… and yes, after being stopped for 9 months, I do smoke again. I just couldn’t deal with all the stress without nicotine.
August 1
August Theme: Faces, the Human Form & Characters
Art Challenge: Expressive Faces
Journal Prompt: What I see clearly now
When I read the prompt “Expressive Faces” I immediately thought about blind drawing. I just LOVE that technique, the outcome is always surprising and, yes, expressive. The right face on the page was drawn blind. Now that I re-discovered blind drawing you will probably see some more of these faces on my next art journal pages.
I will not close my eyes today though, as the sun is shining and the day is too beautiful to shut my eyes! Hope your day and weekend is filled with sunshine and love. Look around and enjoy life, with or without documenting.
Jenny says
hi Marit, i’ve been documenting my life for many years as well, adding bits and pieces, colors, making marks, and writing in diaries, art journals and homemade smash book/junk journals. i like the fact that my journey is archived in all of these journals. i can flip thru them and be reminded of where i was, what i did, thoughts, feelings, etc there are days i wonder what i was doing the previous year, (like a birthday, or special occasion) and i grab my diary and there it is! i jot down a little something every day in a diary that has shrunken in size over the years, but still contains something for each day. it’s a habit i plan to continue.
i really like the pages you shared today Marit. i did Documented Life in 2014 and also “got behind” but somehow (lol) managed to catch up by the end of the year. i passed on participating this year. i’m happy the sun is shining where you are today ๐ thank you for sharing and for inspiring me today <3 jenny
Marit says
I do the exact same Jenny… flipping through old journals and diaries to see what I thought and did a year (or two, or three, or more) ago – I also use my blog for that sometimes. It all comes back when you read or see the pages isn’t it!? I like that!
Jenny says
yes it does Marit! it all comes back. maybe i should name some of my journals/diaries “remembering books” ๐