'Destroy This Journal' Competition


Ended.


   Blackberries, iPads, iPhones, raspberries and iPickles are everywhere. Most places I look
there's someone flicking the air across the screen of their miniaturised computer with
a blank, zombified look on their face.

   When was the last time you saw anyone using a pen and paper? Even schools - the place I learnt to write - are implimenting laptops for kids to work on nowadays. I understand completely that these things might be considered "safer" for storing work on, or "smarter" since you can store a lot of info in one place and use lots of different programs and applications, but using an argument about having to keep "up to date" with today's technology is rubbish. If notebooks were outdated, would they still exist?

   So I have a proposition for you: go get a notebook. A pretty, hardback journal, with roses and polka dots all over it, with a wonderful, unbroken spine and crisp new pages. It's a wonderful feeling. Take that lovely notebook, open it up (sniff the pages) and write something - anything; a secret, a joke, a stressful issue - and maybe do it again and again. Perhaps write something you might tweet instead. Treat it like your phone, perhaps - but, wait! It isn't your phone, is it? It's paper; sweet, blank, beautiful paper. You could tear that piece out in front of you right now, fold it into some clever origami buffalo or something. You could glue it back in on another page. You could grab some fun felt tip pens and doodle all over another page. You could get stickers and stick them all over the front, washi tape and embossing powders - anything!

   But what else could it take? A hole drilled through it? It would function just fine afterwards, afterall. Half-drop it in a tin of paint? Drop it in the sink? Let your 2 year old nephew near it? Even let your dog chew it up a little bit. But what else could it take? What else, what more could it take that an iPhone can't?


   Creative destruction is something that goes out of the window as you grow up. As a youngster, you may well have played in mud, coloured in your dolls' hair, or attempted to make a toy fly by tying a back to its arms and throwing it out of the window. But as we get older, and we get money, and shiny new technology is placed in front of us, we start to value our possessions - perhaps a little too much in some cases. If you once said "I couldn't live without my iPod" then I mean you - and look after them more than we ever would before.
   This is what I, Kaitlyn and Shane want to encourage you out of with this project. And as a little incentive, there are also prizes to be won for the most creative finished piece.




   You get yourself your diary, or a nice new notebook or journal (or maybe make it yourself), consider using it for a while first, fill it up with things that are important to you, either in a good way or a bad way, but of some significance - make the book important to you (Note: we don't expect you to fill every single page. I used an address book for mine and I couldn't for the life of me think of something to write on each page, so I filled perhaps an 8th of it at most).
   Once you've done that, and it could have just been one secret or worry on each page, start to consider the versatility of the book and its pages, and destroy it creatively. This does not mean set it on fire or tear it to pieces - it doesn't even have to be "destroyed" in a negative way. You can rip pages out and stick them in elsewhere, you could add pages to them, you can saw it in half.
   There is only one catch: it must still be readable. Its contents must still be reachable and readable. You can have painted over them, but as long as the words are still visable, it's fine. You can add some kind of locking mechanism to the book, but as long as it opens, it's fine.




   • This competition will run for two months. Completed entries will be accepted by email (the button at the bottom of the page), there's no need to email me to let me know you plan to take part ^^ I will also accept entries in the form of blog posts on the entrant's blog, and the link to the post sent instead of pictures.
   • Entries should consist of pictures of several "destroyed" pages, and the finished book - a minimum of 5 pictures, but 7 to 10 would be excellent. Some pictures could be the process of "destroying" some pages, while others could be pages once they've been altered.
   • Please include your name, email address, and a single webpage you wish to be associated with (your blog, your shop, your facebook, etc)
   • Creativity is key. Throw away all the boundaries, stop thinking and just do. Maybe use some of the materials of your trade, whatever that would be. Be original, but please be sensible.
   • None of the hosts or prize contributors will be held responsible if you do something silly and get yourself hurt. I did tell you to be sensible.
   • The winner will be voted for by the hosts and prize contributors.
   • Prizes, including participational, will be given out once the winner has been announced. All entries must be sent by email, therefore participational prizes will be sent out quickly the same day as the winner is announced. Please note, that some prizes - physical or digital - may take longer to be received than others, depending on the location of the donater. I, for one, am in England, Kaitlyn is in Canada, and Shane is in the US.




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10 comments:

  1. I found this through BBN and this looks like such a fun idea! I would love to take part/help out :)

    xo Shane

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You would be such a big help if you did! At the moment I'm just trying to gather up a few people who would be able to spread the word of it when it begins before actually beginning any or looking for prizes - mention it on their blogs once or twice, or allow me to guest post about it if the bloggers don't have time to write it themselves. If you'd be happy to do that please do say so! ♥

      This is my email

      Delete
  2. I saw this on Shane's blog and was quite intrigued! I am in the process of documenting my husband's deployment in a journal, so I was wondering if that will qualify? I obviously don't want to "destroy" it in the destructive sense, but I am gluing important things in, drying flowers in it, and adding to it in general...Does that count? Let me know!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'll post this on my blog. I'm already trying to do a weekly journal challenge, this would be a nice addition!

    Julie
    alonewithmytea.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just blogged about this! I think it's such a great idea! I'm really into art journaling right now, I just need to go out and buy some supplies!

    Julie
    http://alonewithmytea.blogspot.com/2012/08/destroy-journal-competition.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a fantastic idea! I still write in a physical journal/diary most days, and can be found madly scribbling in my art journal when study isn't taking up my life. I don't have time in the next two months to actually enter this competition, but I would love to donate to it, if you are still taking donors?

    You can see my shop at www.emsawhatsy.etsy.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed we are taking new prizes! I'll be in touch right away!

      Delete
  6. I love this idea so so sooo much! thank you for the inspiration!

    <3 Melissa
    wildflwrchild.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

I do read every single comment, and I will try to respond where I can. If you have an important question about my blog or my shop, however, then you might be better off contacting me directly by email. Thanks so much for reading my blog!