Want To See What You're Playing For?—The 2012 Contest Prize

Left: A handmade journal from Roz, see description below, is this year's prize. Click on the image to view an enlargement.



I've been trying to streamline the administration end of IFJM. The easiest way to do that was to cut back on the need for participants to email me with jpgs and updates and contact information.

In 2012 participants must do the following to enter the drawing:

1. Post on a public blog, Flickr, or other type website 5 (five) page spreads (or pages if they are working on one side of a page only) from their 2012 fake journal.  Ideally each page spread or page represents one journal entry. Journal entries must be from different days, i.e., all 5 pages spreads cannot be created on one day. Journal keepers who are writing short paragraph entries or doing multiple small entries must post entries from 10 days.

2. Send an email with the subject line, IFJM 2012 Participant, to rozjournalrat@gmail.com. The email must include a direct link to your fake journal blog, or if you are posting on your regular blog you must include a direct link to the first post (or first Flickr post and album). (If I can't find your images I can't list you so please make it easy on me.)

Throughout the month, as entries come in, I will create a list of 2012 participants. This list will sit in the right-hand column of this blog. Readers can use this list to check up on the progress of the various participants.

It is unnecessary to send any jpgs or other links to me. There is no need to contact me whenever you post another entry. All you have to concentrate on is making the best fake journal your days allow.

You are welcome at any time to send me a note about how your project is going, or a note asking questions  about the process. I look forward to hearing from you! With reduced paper work I hope to be able to respond more quickly!

At the end of the month I will use the participants link list as the pool from which to draw the winner.

The winner will be notified and asked to send a postal address where I can send the prize. If the winner doesn't respond within 72 hours of the drawing I will draw an alternate and repeat the process. The drawing will take place on May 4 and because of the notification and response time the drawing results may not be posted until sometime early in May.

ENTRY DEADLINE: You may enter the contest any time in April, even if you only discover this project at the end of the month. My goal is to encourage as many people as possible to try this experience. You must notify me by NOON on April 30 that you have posted your 5 entries. So in calendar time you will have to start your fake journal no later than April 25 to make the five page spread (pages) entry requirement. (See item 1 above.)

The prize is a 76-page, 6.5 x 8.25 inch journal, handmade by me with Gutenberg paper. This is a 180 gs cream paper with flecks and a slight pebbly texture. The paper takes wet or dry media well. In this scan of a gouache painting in a Gutenberg journal you can see the lovely laid texture of the paper. You can see another page from one of my Gutenberg journals here. (The actual page size of the book is slightly smaller than the cover dimensions.) Retail price on the book is $80.00. (In the event of unforeseen destruction I will provide a substitute of equal value.)

This is one of my favorite papers for journaling and I know the winner of this book will have a wonderful time filling it with "real" journal entries. The size is also wonderful for carrying with you every day.

What You Are Really Playing For

Prizes are always great, but in this event what you are really playing for is some self-knowledge and a bit of understanding about your real journaling process. Time spent in your fake journal might seem unrelated to your real journaling process, but freed from your regular constraints, considerations, paper, media, etc., you will find insights into what is or isn't working in your regular journal practice.

Use this time to discover how you like (or don't like) working in a new medium; how a certain commercially available journal works (or doesn't) for you; how a new size of journal changes your perspective; or how stepping aside from yourself for a few minutes a day shuts up your internal critic.

Private Fake Journals

Every year a number of people write to tell me they have kept a private fake journal. For a variety of reasons, all of which I respect and understand (not all of my fake journals are public), they don't participate in the public aspects of IFJM. I value their contribution to the effort and am always interested to hear about such adventures.

Often the most intense and meaningful discoveries are those we make privately while we work unconcerned whether or not our work will be seen by others. If that approach suits your needs I still hope you will participate.

And if your life doesn't allow the fit of one more endeavor at the present time I hope that you'll check back here every so often and click on the list of participants to view what they are up to. Take a moment to give them some encouragement and ponder where they are headed.

Selecting a Journal for 2012 IFJM and Some Pre-IFJM Contest Musing

Left: Some Stonehenge Journals with altered covers stand behind "fresh" wirebound journals. I'll be using the 6 x 12 inch blue journal at the back for my 2012 fake journal. Read below for details. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Because I make my own journals for my daily use I like to select commercially bound journals for use during International Fake Journal Month. This helps me distance myself from the "character" who is keeping the journal.

This year I started testing a couple types of paper and a couple commercially bound journals, but I wasn't finding anything that I liked. On a whim I took a 7 x 7 inch Stonehenge journal off my shelf and started playing with inks on the last page. I knew that my character would be taking walks so I wanted something portable. I thought that there might be a lot of architecture in the journal because I'd like to sketch more scenes and buildings. Suddenly I realized my character would be at the same place everyday and I would need a larger book than the 7 x 7 inch book. The "end" of the month flashed in my brain. I started to back off of the idea.

My reluctance came from the rather somber nature of the concept. For me IFJM was always about looking into the dark side of things, exploring my somber side. But when I went public on the internet with IFJM in 2009 I found that my projects, while still a bit on the dark side (there always seems to be some death or injury), were in many ways upbeat (at least in certain aspects).

Well the last 18 months I have found a tendency in my regular journal work to become more and more personal. I show less of it to others. I select portions I take to classes for student viewing more carefully. I'm moving into a more private mode, which is a typical cycle for me.

I realized that the IFJM idea I had "settled" upon was not something I could share publicly. I also decided it wasn't an idea I wanted to work on at the present time. I believe that character has a lot to teach me, but not now.

So instead this year I'm going to take a bit more playful approach. Currently I am thinking that there will be a recurring motif about a certain someone in my fake journal: his name is Frank. You'll meet him soon enough if I go that way. I'll include illustrations and a bit of text each day. As usual I'll begin in medias res.

In order to work in this journal I will be creating a backstory from which to work, but I won't be supplying any backstory when I post the images. I am considering holding a contest for readers to suggest a backstory and then printing both of them after IFJM. I'm still thinking about the contests.

You get the idea, there is a lot up in the air about IFJM this year. That's another reason I wanted to be a little bit more playful this year.

I'm focusing this year on making changes to the public face of IFJM so that it runs with less administration time for me. If I'm successful at my attempts it means that next year I can go back to my more somber and challenging ideas because I'll have more time to explore them.

Immediate Changes To the Organization of IFJM
This year, instead of asking everyone to send jpgs for me to post here, or to have people send me links to "x-number" of posts on their own blogs so that they can be eligible for a prize drawing, I will be asking that everyone post his or her own images on a blog or website for which a link can be provided.

As soon as a participant has posted 5 pages and sent me a link I'll go and check out their posts at that time. The link will then be placed in the link list of 2012 participants in the right column of this blog. The introductory material on the blog will direct readers to that list. Whatever shape the contest takes this year, the winner will come from that list.

This will immediately free up more time for me to make and scan my own work. And I won't have to keep track of links and addresses and such.

Watch for additional changes as they are finalized.


In the meantime, I hope you are selecting paper that you will enjoy working on for a month, ditto media!

Take a moment to read past posts about preparing for IFJM by scanning the category cloud.

It is most important to spend a little bit of time thinking about who your character is. He or she will be writing your journal in the first person, a little bit each day (ideally) or a little bit several times a week, during April 2012. You want to be sure that he or she is someone with whom you can live and grow.

To test your idea you might want to write a brief background of your character. This isn't part of your journal because it isn't written in the first person. It's just a little examination of who your character is, what she or he might want. What goals does your character have? What occupation? What quirks? How will you be able to pull off writing and sketching from the perspective of that person? Will you have to do some research? Will you be interviewing someone who has that job? Do you have the time, each day in April, to make progress in your project, in a meaningful and significant way? Which is more important to you—experimenting with a visual style or with the text? How does the project further your current art goals? How can you tweak the project so that it better supports your current art goals or personal goals?

Keep in mind that it is perfectly suitable to keep an IFJM journal with no text at all, and no explanation. Only YOU need to know what is going on and what will be a consistent action (and art action) on the part of your character. You do not need to explain anything to anyone! (I do recommend that at the end of the month you write a background note and paste it into the back of your fake journal so that 10 years from now you can remind yourself what the perspective of your character was—even who she or he was.)

So now it's time to do some serious thought for your project. Don't sweat it, just sit down and think about it, start taking some notes, let it grow. If you find an idea that appeals to you let it sit in your brain for a couple days and ask yourself "when during MY day would I be able to write from this character's perspective?" The answers may surprise you. If after two or three days you find the idea begins to lose its shine, go back to the drawing board for a new concept.

While I know that I'll be working in the thin, blue-covered book shown above, I'm not sure yet that my final idea has fully gelled. I have a couple weeks to let it percolate.

I hope you'll all consider joining me this year with your own fake journal. I look forward to seeing them.

Thinking about Participating in International Fake Journal Month?

If you've found this site or the sites of past participants in International Fake Journal Month (IFJM) and are intrigued by the idea of spending April 2012 creating a fake journal I suggest that you read the following posts, because they provide a great background and foundation for how to start, how to jump in, and ultimately have a great, creative, fun April!

If you know nothing about IFJM begin with a brief background of IFJM.

You can see a video flip-through of my 2009 Fake Journal here. There are other video flip-throughs on my blog, but this one will give you a quick idea of what's going on.

A recurring question from readers of this blog focuses on what the differences between Faux, Fake, and Fake Historical journals are.  This post will help you understand the differences and help you define clear boundaries for your project that will be ensure your success this year.

If you are wondering how to go about preparing for IFJM I have a description of my process from 2010 that will be useful. It will help you decide how to select a journal (the paper, the media, and so forth). It also discusses considerations of time management, goals, and subject matter. You want to be realistic in your goals so that you can be productive each day and still have fun.

If you're still sitting on the fence about preparation you can hit the "preparations" label in the category cloud and read a number of posts about preparation, but perhaps one of the most helpful is "Get Ready, Get Set—Now Throw Out All Your Prep."

I would also encourage you to check out the lists of participants from past years. In the right-hand column of this blog if you scroll down you'll find a list of 2011 participants and then later a list of 2010 participants. As 2012 starts up a list of those participants will also be added. These lists provide links to the participants' blogs or Flikr sites where they have posted their fake journals for that year. There is some delightful and inspiring art from these fakesters. Additionally you will see how each of them set up a "character" and circumstances for the author of the fake journal.

I hope that you will all consider joining in the festivities of International Fake Journal Month 2012—30 days of fabulous (I mean that in several ways) fun. (I'm working on the button right now!)

Time to Start Thinking about Which Journal You'll Use for 2012's International Fake Journal Month!

Above: Clairefontaine notesbooks.
Click to view an enlargement.

April first is still a couple months away, but it isn't too early to start thinking about selecting a book to use for your 2012 fake journal. I've been keeping my eyes open for likely commercially bound journals. Since I typically use my own handmade journals for my visual journaling habit I find that using a commercially bound journal helps to distance myself from my character for the month.

I received a note from Goulet Pens the other day that they had new Clairefontaine notebooks in stock. I use the larger lined notebooks (about 8.25 x 11.75 inches) for my written journals. I use the smaller journals with grids on the page or blank pages for notebooks and logs in the studio (computer log, blog log, etc.) It was time to reorder. Then I noticed that they had the French rule journals in a smaller size. (Typically I've only seen them in the 8.25 x 11.75 inch size.) I use the larger French rule journals for collage and sketching journals when I want to work on smooth lined paper and wet media is not going to be used a lot (the pages will buckle probably more than most people would endure).

Above: View of a page of French ruled paper.
Click on the image to view an enlargement.

I ordered three of the French rule notebooks in the 6.75 x 8.75 inch size. These are perfect for carrying everywhere and could be just the thing for a prolific character to journal in (lots of pages). (I have no idea yet what direction I'm going this year.)

I also ordered 3 of the small journals with gridded pages. Goulet took great care in wrapping them securely in plastic wrap and bubble wrap. They arrived quickly in perfect condition. You don't get to select the cover color that you like, but I'm happy with all the colors in which they are made so it's all good.

Now that I have them in my hands I'm thinking more and more what character would use one of these French ruled journals for a visual journal.

I'll keep my eyes open for the next several weeks and my mind open to possibilities—I suggest you do the same. Read past posts on how to select a journal for the event (the types of considerations to keep in mind) if you haven't participated before. Most important—keep in mind what medium you'll be working in. I haven't decided yet, but I know, looking at these journals that if I decide to go completely with pen and ink they will be a great choice. It's time to start thinking about all the possibilities for 2012's International Fake Journal Month.

Note: I'm not affiliated with Goulet Pens at all, except as a happy customer.

Obituaries: This Really Does Wrap Up 2011 for Roz

You can read the obituary of Hydra Seetre here.

You can read the obituary of Esther Rayde here.

Everything is put away. It's time to get back to the real journal "full time." It's also time to go for a bike ride and dream up new characters.

Wrap Up for Roz's 2011 Fake Journal

To see a video flip-through of my 2011 fake journal please the post on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

Each year I set goals for myself during IFJM. The goals relate to media that I've decided to use and the approach I'm going to use. Part of the equation is also the character I elect to explore. The character chooses the journal that I'll work in. I may have selected several to choose from, and had a "plan" of action I thought I would take, but the character steps in and takes over at that point. It seems at times that I essentially sit back and let the learning take place after that—but it isn't that passive.

Each year brings special challenges that cause the project to go in unforeseen directions. Sometimes those challenges are caused by the character, sometimes by the circumstances in which the character moves. Sometimes the challenges are external to the project and relate to my real life, work, and family.

This year I had an ambitious plan to take off most of the month of April and actually do little else but be my character. Since I knew, going into it that she was a writer and illustrator and had lots of projects going on, I also knew I would have plenty to keep me busy.

Then the imp in me took over and I decided that my character should have an internet presence for her public faces. Setting that up was simple. Feeding it, when I have trouble managing and maintaining my own internet presence was ridiculous. It sent the project over the top, but in a way which pleased me very much. (Though the nervous tic I developed below my left eye didn't please me—and I'm happy to report it finally seems to have retreated.)

The reality of my life in April, however, did not allow me to fully devote myself to this project: to the grand, large scheme. And I saw it, even before April 1, dwindle to only an hour a day of activity (in the journal, with some miscellaneous cross referencing on the blogs).

One thing about the project didn't change from the beginning, however. My character, Tyra D. Sheere doesn't explain things. She isn't a teacher. She doesn't care if people know she found this type of media difficult to use for this application or whether she prefers one brand of gouache over another and why.

I wrote "No Explanations" on a slip of paper and pasted it to the wall above my desk. Every year in IFJM I look for one aspect of my actual experience to free myself from, or to cast light on. "No Explanations" was that aspect.

As a teacher my life is about explanations—methodically setting out steps to things and communicating the ways in which materials, media, and techniques can be made to work. As a graphic designer much of my job is "teaching" the client so he'll accept the work as just what he needs.

It was gloriously freeing to have no explanations in my fake journal. Tyra was not concerned with writing out steps for anything—either so that she could do it again or so that she could teach it to someone else by making class notes out of it, whatever. (She did grumble a bit about her editors at times, though mostly on her blogs. Still it wasn't explanations.)

Part of this "no explanations" stance dovetailed nicely with the current realities of my life. I've been examining issues of my mode of expression, both in writing and in painting. But I have also been examining what it means to have contact with your brain, your memory, your skills. I have also been watching the aging process in people I love, and in myself. I have been assessing what it means to productivity and creativity, as well as things as essential as movement. I don't have answers or clear thoughts on any of this exploration yet, but I do know that I am moving back into a private mode in my journals (this happens in waves) which I am really enjoying. These private modes always in the past have come before periods of great creative productivity and I look forward to that.  “No explanations” was a great starting point for this exploration.

Let's just say, that this year's IFJM surpassed all my expectations for raising life issues that need to be addressed by me!

There is another aspect of the fake journal that remained constant from the planning phase. Tyra does not carry her journal around. I carry my journal everywhere and have the body wear and tear to show for it. This has lead to smaller journals. I love working in all sizes of journals, but I also realize that the size at which we work impacts on the art we end up with, so I do like to mix it up. Because Tyra doesn't carry her journal and her journal is large, she can put lots of bits and pieces she creates during the day in her journal.

This actually meshed perfectly with my current need to be always working on my sketching skills, to push myself. It drove the way I taught last fall's multi-session journal practice class (ending in June of this year) which deals with sketching and collage. It fuels how I am currently working in one such journal now (which is 9 x 12 inches) while I have a 6 x 8 inch journal that I carry everywhere with me in my pack.

My journal practice has always been flexible, and it is once again stretching to accommodate current needs so different from my needs 10 years ago, 4 years ago, or even a year ago. My 2011 fake journal helped to reinforce in my mind all the types of approaches I could take.

Next, because I also think of IFJM as a time to play, I started with a character who would be making stuff, specifically stuff that I also enjoy—books. This allowed me to effortlessly fold over my love of making fake book covers into the process of IFJM. 

In some ways this year's fake journal is the most personal of any I've shared. Her observational mode is most like mine. And she certainly shares my background experience (from Australia), my third culture kid sensibilities, my sense of humor, and an abundance of my interests. It seemed when she came to me that this was appropriate, since I'd planned to spend all my time with her. In hindsight the universe probably saved me from spending all my time with her.

In playing at being Tyra I forced myself to use a different palette of colors than I normally use. This provided a bit more stretch, even in the discomfort it raised. I think it is good to shake up things about our approach to art every once in awhile, whether or not we decide to be someone else to do it. I'll be exploring these different colors (more oranges, more reds) in the future, as well as trying additional departures—now I'm anxious to make time for them right away.

That's one of the great benefits of IFJM for me—it makes me crazy to get started on other new projects or new approaches. It's why I started posting about it in 2009, using the internet to draw a wider audience to IFJM. I wanted to share all the fun I was having. Sometimes the fun doesn't seem like fun at the time (2001 was a pretty dark year in IFJM for me) but when the work is done the fun always seems to rise like cream to the top. I can live with that.

Several people have asked me why Tyra had to die. The answer always seems obvious to me. She didn't have to do anything. She made choices. She went to Borneo. She played tug of war with the orangutan. As one of my real friends might say about the encounter with the orangutan, "Girlfriend, that wasn't too bright." And that action (and my friend's voice in my head) reminds me of the precariousness of everything, and the need for joy in everything, and if not joy, then gratitude. And if not gratitude then forgiveness. Because frankly we all have way too much to do to behave otherwise. And it is important that we pay attention at all times. Not in an obsessive and paranoid fashion, but in an engaged way.

Originally, as April wound down, I thought I might actually deal with Tyra next year in IFJM as well. But immediately the idea was answered with silence. She wasn't there. And when I asked my mind why, the answer came up.

Ultimately too, there is that love of narrative thread I can't escape, the Dickensian impulse which likes to wrap things up. Blend that with my own dark sense of humor and the logical conclusion is a chocolate fountain.

I have a lot more thinking and working to do because of IFJM. I'm looking forward to it. I want to thank all of your for participating, for promoting, for checking in. I love seeing what other people come up with when they give fake journaling a try. I love seeing the changes they encounter and make in their lives.

I want to thank all my friends who helped me with the creation of Tyra this year, especially Tom, who took pictures of me so that we could do Project Journal Infiltration within IFJM. (I adored all the ways participants worked out to include me in their journals—brilliance! I'm grateful and awed.) And to Dick for supporting the full throttle approach. All you need to know is that Tyra is a lot more lippy than even I am, and a lot of it spilled over into my real life.

It is my hope that each year participants gain a new insight into who they are, how they work, what they could do to take their work in a new direction, what that direction might be. I hope if you participated you found some of that. I hope that you join me next year for another go at it.

Life's so short, why live only one?

A Video Flip Through Roz Stendahl's 2011 Fake Journal

If the above embedded video doesn't work please view my 2011 fake journal video at YouTube.

The video flip-through is about 8 minutes long. If you've seen enough of the journal by reading my posts and seeing the scans on this blog, and viewing the physical journal doesn't matter to you, I encourage you to still check out the final few minutes (end of the flip through and the credits) to learn a little more about my character.

I'd promised my written wrap up today as well, however, I'm between meetings and will have to post that at another time. Please check back to learn what this fake journal month meant to me.

Wrap Up Thoughts for 2011: Artist Debra Ripp Shares Her Thoughts

Above: One of the page "spreads" in Debra Ripp's card journal, kept for 2011 International Fake Journal Month. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Debra Ripp.

Twin Cities artist Debra Ripp created "Fisherman" for her April 2011 fake journal. I was intrigued with her use of cards to create a stack of journal cards. She had the following to say about her experiences.

When I started this project I was ready to use an old crossword dictionary, except, then I came across a pack of my former image postcards.  The size and intimacy were  a pleasure to work with, they were easy to paint over and also revealed a surface character of their own.  The most appealing aspect of this project is the idea of being someone else and I went as opposite as I could. I imagined myself as a 9-5 desk jockey turned nature nut when he decides to go fishing to escape work. For me it wasn’t about everyday recording but more a reflection of the changes in orientation and what is carried from one (office) environment to someplace (fishing lake) completely NOT his orientation. Hopefully, I am going to develop the idea much further, but I would like to express my wonder at how much this project stretched my focus and perspective toward my own work. 

Above: Another card in Debra Ripp's 2011 fake journal. The paint on the fish is stroked away in a lovely textural fashion. Click on the image and view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Debra Ripp.

I found the manner in which Debra embraced opposites so completely (including changing her gender) a delight. In fact she gives us a nice template for future fake journal plans—list what you are and go with the exact opposite! Take that internal critic!

Above: A third card in Debra Ripp's 2011 fake journal. Here she has included some collage elements on top of her painted surface. Clcik on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Debra Ripp.

The image cards Debra recycled were postcards of her own artwork. She didn't prepare the coated cardstock surface in anyway before she added her paint. The resultant peeling and textural strokes add a wonderful dimension which she loved working with. Since I've seen the cards in person I can add that the effect is also one of depth and adds interest. I was shooting in poor light on a reflective table so it isn't always clear in the photos.

I'm excited that Debra used IFJM 2011 to reflect and play with these ideas and media. I look forward to more adventures from "Fisherman." Thank you Debra, for sharing your art and experience with us.

Wrap Up Thoughts for 2011: Artist Mimi Holmes Shares Her Thoughts

Above: A page spread from Mimi Holmes' 2011 fake journal. Here her character, Emma Jane, a sixth grader, is drawing trash using pens. I did not get a photograph of the earliest pages where Emma Jane worked only in pencil. At the top of the page you'll see Emma Jane's notes. Below her drawings in red ink you will see comments by Emma Jane's teacher, Mrs. Andersen, along with a grade: a check plus or check minus. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Mimi Holmes.

I was privileged to see Minneapolis artist Mimi Holmes' 2011 fake Journal on Saturday. The lighting wasn't great, but I took a couple photos to share with you. Before we get to Mimi's comments about the project I wanted to share a little background about her fake journal with you.

If you would like to see some of Mimi Holmes' fiber art and paintings please go to  MNArtists.org and enter her name in the site's search engine. Images will then come up in a list for you to view.

Above: Another pen and ink page spread from Mimi Holmes' 2011 fake journal. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Mimi Holmes.

Mimi used a large (10 x 15 inches?) scrapbook-style book (with a stab spine). She purchased it at a sale for $1.49! The price tag was still attached. Mimi's character, Emma Jane Randall was a sixth-grade girl taking part in a school drawing project. She picked up junk everyday and drew it. Later she started to take photos of it (because of a fictional teacher's request for photos). The journal is filled with her "sixth grade" handwriting which Mimi mimicked perfectly; the sketches; the teacher's comments (in a different hand); the photos; and some final reports required by the class.

Above: Another spread from Mimi Holmes' 2011 fake journal. Here Emma Jane had transitioned to drawing on the trash she picked up. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Mimi Holmes.

Here's what Mimi wrote about her experience in April:

I think I learned how to make the best of it as I progressed.   I certainly didn't know how it would turn out when I began it.

Mrs. Andersen  being so critical inspired me to have the extra credit options...  and the shows at MCM and Textile Center fit beautifully.

I knew starting out what the first three weeks parameters of materials would be: pencils, markers, liquid ink.  Didn't figure out the fourth week ( drawing on collected trash) until rather late in the game as I was hoping to do the chicken writing on found trash, but I couldn't figure out how to make that work given what had already progressed in the journal.

I'm not sure if I am disappointed or not about starting a blog and posting pages on it.  I enjoyed going to the blogs of others, but didn't leave any comments.  I worried I would not have time to post on my blog daily.  I photographed daily at first ( the whole page); then it became easier to do several pages at a time, and to photograph several days objects at a time as well.  Then resizing images on the computer!  Probably spent as much time on that as drawing.

I liked seeing it build up and amount to something over the month.  That's the key to all artmaking, I think: do  at least a small amount every day and over time it really adds up!

The color type emphasis at the end of Mimi's comments is mine. I couldn't agree more. I also think it is important to let art projects evolve. It's great to have parameters (and I suggest that here in posts on preparation) but it is important, once you get immersed in a project to let the life of the project evolve. Mimi's fake journal clearly did that, as she moved through the month and allowed her character to respond to the "task" at hand in creative ways.

Above: In this image you can see a page spread where Emma Jane was drawing on trash, along with the photos (above the journal) her teacher asked her to supply. To the top right of this image you can see some of the actual trash items that Mimi used for this project. Click on the image to view an enlargement. Artwork ©2011 Mimi Holmes.

Mimi's summation also addresses something that I think everyone needs to be aware of. It's more important to keep making the art than posting it. Sometimes it seems to me that the best way to deal with IFJM would be a simple video flip through at the end of the month, when it's all over. Each artist has to decide what works best. For some, the daily posting spurs them on. For Mimi, I know in part the posting was difficult because she had such a large book and it was difficult to scan or photograph. I dealt with a larger than normal book myself this year and was not happy with the time it added to the "business" of posting.

Thank you Mimi for participating this year and for sharing your fake journal. I love all the aspects of it and the wonderful insights Emma Jane has along the way.

Wrap Up Thoughts for 2011: Participants Share Their Experiences

At the end of International Fake Journal Month I always encourage participants to take a moment and write down how the experience went for them—what they might have learned, what they realized they won't be doing again, and so on. I call this debriefing. 

The following participants responded to my request and have written about their 2011 IFJM experience. Please click on a name in the list below and read their comments.

Also, Miss T. who doesn't blog, wrote her summation for posting here and I've included a link to that post in the list. For the same reasons I have since added Mimi Holmes and Debra Ripps to the list, with links to their wraps ups which were posted on this blog.

Thursday I'll post my video flip through and write up.

Now go read what people have to say about their 2011 IFJM experience:

Melinda Bilecki

Anne Bray
 
Michelle Himes

Mimi Holmes

Evie Nev

Debra Ripp

Lissa Rachelle Robillard

Jeanette Sclar

Miss T

Joan Tavolott

Note: If you participated and would like your "debriefing" including in this list please send me a link. Thanks.