Welcome to International Fake Journal Month 2013!

What is IFJM?
Please read the page "What Is IFJM" for details.
Learn the difference between Faux, Fake, and Fake Historical Journals.

2019 IFJM Celebration
IFJM has been suspended indefinitely. Please read the pinned post about this below.

Participants who Post Their Journals
A list of 2018 participants who are posting their fake journals this year will appear near the top of the right side bar of this blog around April 6. Lists of participants who posted their pages in 2010 through 2017 appear lower in the same column. Please pay them a visit and check out their fake journals.

View a Couple of Roz's Past Fake Journals
Roz's 2009 fake journal takes place in an alternate Twin Cites, where disease has killed the human and bird populations. (It ends up being an upbeat tale of friendship.) Watch a video flip through of Roz's 2009 fake journal here.

Read an explanation of Roz's insanely complex 2011 fake journal.

Tips on Keeping a Fake Journal
Click on "tips" in the category cloud.

Remember, "Life's so short, why live only one?"


Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Are You Ready for International Fake Journal Month 2017?

International Fake Journal Month 2017 begins this Saturday, April 1. 

I will try once more to convince you to spend about 30 minutes a day keeping a journal as someone else.

Think of it as a way to try on a personality trait that you would like more of in your life (courage, modesty, energy, balance). Dedicate your 30 minutes a day to working in a new medium without your own hang-ups—as someone who has none!

It's also a way to get your internal critic on the run!

Perhaps the best way I can convince you to join in is to talk about it with you!

In 2015 "Design Recharge" artist and podcaster Diane Gibbs interviewed me about the process of keeping a fake journal.
Part one—is here, we got a little side tracked and talked about visual journaling and sketching in general. So Diane had me back later for part 2!
Part two—is here, this time Diane and I talked about the guidelines and typical pitfalls first time fake journal keepers encounter. This video runs 65 minutes and is a great “short” introduction to the practice of keeping a fake journal.

See the category list in the right-hand column (scroll down) for tips, suggestions, and other cool stuff.

You don't need any elaborate preparation. You don't have to buy materials. Use what you have. You don't even need a journal—you can work on loose sheets (which still have to have a date and time written on them—hey, the guidelines have hefty reasons that feed into the learning and fun).

If you would like to participate and don't want to start a dedicated blog for your fake journal posts, or don't want to post them on your regular blog, or you just want to chat with everyone else who is participating you can contact me and ask to be part of the IFJM Facebook group. You have to friend me first (otherwise I don't seem to be able to find people in the list that comes up during the invite operation); and you need to let me know what your logo on Facebook looks like in case there are lots of folks with similar names, and I need to know what your Facebook name is (of course). That's all.

I'm off to sharpen my pencils! (I'll be using color pencil this year. Well at least I think so…it could all change on Saturday.)