Happy New Year!
I’ve been making books with my sister-in-law Jan. I love spending time with her as it’s always fun and very creative. We both made notebooks for our January small stones –
Here they are:
I used to work a lot in paper, some of which I painted before using, some found or given. I made collages, experimented with colour, texture and form, and making notebooks reminded me of how much I want to work with paper again.
While we made books we talked about the year ahead; our creative and life goals. Some of mine include:
- publishing my crime novel Blood Tide which nearly made it but not quite and which I believe in and want to get out into the world – also launching it in style and getting to work on the sequel.
- exploring journaling and notebook making – I’m hooked after just one session.
- writing poetry – reading a poet a week, learning what I can, finding my own voice.
There were other things on my list but really they all came down to one thing – celebrating the Indie – exploring life outside of the writing world of the establishment, doing it for myself – and in a spirit of co-operation and not of competition.
I’m looking forward to 2012!
Gorgeous books – more important than ever in this (appreciated – think of our Kindles!) Indie eBook age. The quality, feel and design of any book will be the thing that gives them permanent role in our lives. Indie notebooks is a great concept. Making books together is a great creative bond. w
Yes! And lots of e book making ahead for us Wendy in 2012
Ax
Gorgeous notebooks inviting you to write! I’ve always been dependent on having the right notebook. Silly really, as it shouldn’t matter, but it does. I’m very struck by your paragraph on ‘Celebrating the Indie’ – I’m more and more believing that we’ve got to get back inside that writerly space and out of the ‘establishment’ concept of ‘being a writer’ that is so uncreative. We’ve been blinded and deafened by words like ‘marketable’ and ‘in genre’ as well as prescriptive ways of writing. Let’s all break out of the pen and run off into the jungle!
Love the idea of running off to the Jungle! I certainly have the sense of having escaped something and am feeling really excited and joyful at the prospect of the writing year ahead.
A x
These special writing notebooks invite words and ideas – hope you’re already filling them and will share some of the results.
I am really enjoying using them and will definitely be putting up some small stones! Great to hear from you in 2012
Ax
Love the books mum! The papers look great – let me know when you run out and I will send more supplies xx
Thanks Katie – I will do! Need to get making some more
Ax
Beautiful, Avril; both the books and the thoughts .