Journal class

Last Sunday was quite a treat. I attended a Journaling class presented by Kelly Kilmer. There is something about "making" these journals that really speaks to me. It gives me great satisfaction to gut one of my old business books and I feel magical as I create new covers and sew in new, fat pages that are thirsty for paint, paste, images and words.

Kelly is very generous with supplies. The amount of paper and images she makes available is nearly overwhelming. One of my struggles has been to allow myself to prepare pages for writing another day. I have a creepy little voice inside that says you must plan the entire page, it must have a theme, etc. In other words, I haven't allowed myself the fun of just going crazy with paint and background material. The problem that creates is that when I am on fire to write, there are no painted pages on which to write.

No more! thanks to Kelly. We had plenty of time and I painted and pasted with wild abandon. Phew! it felt good. Here are two of the pages patiently waiting for my pen. Please note the wickedly raggedy edges of the pages. I cannot begin to tell you how I am drawn to the irregularity of all of this.


Kelly gave us a prompt to capture what was happening that day. To make a great day even better, I was there with two of my daughters. One of whom you all know as Katydiddys. I hope, one day soon, to be directing you to the blog of the other. She is quite an artist and writer herself.

I never realized just how uptight I am about procedure and order until I started all of this art stuff. I brought home the journal I made in class and unconsciously decided that I had to finish the other two I am working in now before I could work in this one. Well, that book just called and called to me. It did not want to wait on the shelf for years like the first journal that Randi
Feuerhelm lovingly taught me to make. Last night I gave in. This is the page that sort of made itself from some sketches I'd made long ago.

Early this morning there was a 6.0 earthquake in Nevada that was felt here in Southern California. I think it was actually me, opening up and letting go....................!

Here's to living in the moment and as the moment. Wishing wildness to you all.