1001 Journals

While browsing in the 'How-to-write' section of the local library, I found this great book '1001 Journals Project', chronicling snippets of 1001 journals left in public spaces across the US and ultimately the world.

Each creative entry is pretty inspiring as I love collage and mixed media. Adding an entry before passing it on where instructions written in each book. Looks like that was dutifully done otherwise there wouldn't be this collection of snippets and now exhibitions!

Some of the entries were how they found the book, who they past it on to- fellow backpacker, stranger or where they left it. One participant left it on a mountain thinking another traveller would take it. A year later when they returned it was still there, so they transported it somewhere else.

What a great global community project! It reminds me of Post a Secret, sometimes we can share so much more with strangers then those closest to us.

Post A Secret

I was in Borders the other day (I love manufactured cosy environments) and found myself in the art section.

Amongst the overpriced books on street art or how to draw cartoons was the book 'Post A Secret'.

It is a community art project that encourages people to send in postcards of their secrets.

I've seen about two of the four editions which have been released and the content just gets crazier.

Its amazing the creativity out there even when you are dealing with the most painful secret possible. Most are weird scribblings or collages to over-emphasise the point.

Imagine the relief of sending your secrets to a box number anonymously. You could tell them anything and it won't be traced back to you but it would be out there. Published in Borders no less!

Maybe its perverted that we are automatically drawn to wanting to knowing what other peoples secrets are even if they are anonymous. Toilet walls, postcards, gossip columns- nothing has become outdated yet as a medium to divulge information to our community or the world.

We all want to know forbidden information, but how far does it go before it makes even us uncomfortable. Maybe because its anonymous there is not even a line marked in the sand.

'Post A Secret' now has its own blog, due to the sheer volume of secrets being sent in.