Because I totally lack originality and it’s been forever since I’ve posted anything, I thought I’d share some scanned pages from this journal thingy I’m working on. I got the idea originally by watching this video at Moleskine.com:
When I started it, I was thinking I’d want a Moleskine because, have you seen one in person? They’re amazing! And apparently they’re like waterproof and just generally awesome. And okay, yeah, I’m a total sucker for advertising and they make it look like something that EVERY aspiring artist/writer/lost soul person should have because obviously, the best way to express yourself is through a journal of some sort.
And also their youtube page is kinda awesome too. I just spent 30 minutes looking at their videos instead of typing this blog…what I was talking about again?
Oh right.
So, I was going to invest in a Moleskin. But then I had to think about what size do I want cuz there’s like a million sizes. And then I had to decide if I wanted an unlined or lined notebook. And then I started thinking about what I was actually going to put in the notebook. And while, yes, I like the idea of making my own recipe scrapbook, if I want to be able to use the recipes, they’re going to need to be in page protectors because I’m probably gonna get stuff on them or put them down and realize that they’re actually in a pile of sauce that I forgot to wipe down. Plus, what if there’s not enough pages in my notebook? Then I’m going to have to get another notebook and then I’ll always be looking from one notebook to the next wondering which one had the recipe I wanted.
And then, my coworkers got me hooked on this other site called Pinterest…and that just sucked up another 30 minutes of blogging time. But come on now, a website that let’s you pin the stuff you like into one spot so you can always look it up whenever you want?!! That’s amazing! And it’s so simple to use! Argh!!
The problem I’m having is that I’m stuck. I’m in a place that I won’t be leaving anytime soon. Literally and figuratively speaking. And so I’ve been passing the time by playing a little game of What If.
- What if I could leave? Where would I go?
- What if I had the money? What would I buy?
- What if I had the time? How would I spend it?
- What if I had the ability? Would I really use it?
And last but probably most importantly:
- What if I was wherever it is I think I’m supposed to be at? Would I finally feel happy?
I honestly don’t have any answers. But at least now I have a bulletin board of ideas online.
While I was thinking all of these depressing philosophical thoughts, I decided one thing I could do, instead of moping about the things I don’t have, is to start organizing the stuff I do. Maybe appreciating what I have will make me feel better. While I was looking for something to store Baby’s clothes in, I came across the January issue of Real Simple. Their focus was on New Year’s Resolutions and how to fix bad habits. It spoke to me. So I bought the issue. Normally, I don’t buy magazines. I don’t buy anything, honestly. I’m broke. I had talked myself out of the Moleskine notebook and I was determined not spend money on anything unless it was food, gas, or an absolute necessity (like a storage bin for Baby’s clothes or an oil change for the car). So why did I buy the magazine?
Because I liked the recipes, for one thing.
And for another, I found an article that really seemed like it might do some good to read. So I bought the magazine and reread the article. Below are the bits that I chopped out and made into a collage.
Admittedly, I could have just glued the article itself onto paper but it’s more fun to butcher someone else’s hard work and reclaim it as a form of artistic expression.
Okay, so it’s not really a collage. It’s more of a copy and pasting of the article onto some notebook paper in a way that I think looks good. Don’t judge me. I’m going through a funk and I needed to make something the way I wanted it to look pretty. It was actually very therapeutic. Plus, it gave me the chance to figure out how I was going to make my Moleskine notebook when I didn’t feel like paying $15 for an actual Moleskine.
What I’ve decided to do, is basically cut out magazine articles that I like and glue them onto notebook paper. My clippings then go into sheet protectors and the sheet protectors go into a pretty binder that I’ve been saving for something awesome. Then I decorate accordingly with all the scrapbook paper I’ve been squirreling away and add my own notes or whatever else with my amazingly perfect pen.
And it works wonders for my sense of accomplishment. I think the second page I made looks more collage-y.
The soda can and the Mark Twain quote were from different articles. But whatever, it fit and it’s my journal/collage thing. I do what I want.
Except now I’m squirreling away every magazine I find that has pictures of furniture or intersting looking recipes and especially catalogs from work.
I want all of this.
I think cutting and pasting is an art project that psychiatrists use for obsessive compulsive people or like, serial killers. And also for little kids who are just learning how to use scissors and glue. I should, in actuality, be discussing the content of the pages that I posted because it’s especially relevant to my current mindset but instead I’m going to let you read them for yourself and figure out whether or not it’s something that applies to you. And then next week, if I do post a new entry, maybe we’ll talk about it. Or maybe I’ll get sidetracked and talk about something else instead.
Happy New Year!!
the snarky cupcake 