2014 International Fake Journal Month Wrap Up: Dana Burrell

Above: Page spread ©2014 Dana Burrell from her 2014 fake journal. This was a test page her character created. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

What can you get done in 15 minutes a day—journaling, and even fake journaling. That's the daily time limit artist Dana Burrell allowed herself each day in April to work on her 2014 fake journal.

Dana has posted her write up here with more images. Her wrap up also details how she approached her fake journal this year; how she thought of her character; what role planning played in this year's project, and the journal that she created for the project. Dana has participated in IFJM before and I think it will help you to see that in any given year setting a new project boundary can generate new issues.

I encourage you to go to her site and see the full write up. I think my favorite part is how Dana worked in watercolor pencils and neither she nor her character had ever used them before so her character created a color chart and test sketch at the opening of her journal. (See opening image.) A sensible character indeed. And in a year without explanations it makes total sense to all those reading why she would do that. It's also a nifty way to handle a bit of life-overlap!

Dana also explains the value of seeing the project as a whole at the end of the month. Her character dealt with issues of anxiety regarding her mother's illness and Dana found this situation paralleled her own thoughts but brought a new perspective.

You will also enjoy seeing Dana's post on "Gearing up for IFJM" here. There you'll see the lovely small book she made with it's vibrantly colored cover.

Next year think about exploring a new medium, or looking at issues you face from a different perspective. The experience can leave you with new skills on many levels.

Links to Wrap Ups for the 2013 Fake Journals

Apologies for being behind in posting about the wrap ups for April 2013!

I consider the wrap-up portion of the celebration of International Fake Journal Month a crucial part of the entire process. My family has needed my free-time for the past several months as we got Dick's parents' home ready for sale (it sold on July 9th!).

I wrote my own wrap up at the end of April as is my habit. It promptly got buried in 66 years of materials and files from the folks which are now in our space and have to be sorted. I'll post my wrap up as soon as it resurfaces. (That will teach me to not write it in my regular journal—I thought I was being oh, so smart.)

In the meantime the following 2013 participants have written about keeping a fake journal during April of this year. You can go to the link provided and read what each has to say about her experiences.

Be sure to check out the 2013 Participants list in the right hand column of this blog. Those links in that list will take you to the actual postings of their pages.

I'd like to thank everyone who participated this year for making it a fun celebration of fakeness. 

Jill Lee Jones 

Dana Burrell

Michelle Himes

Diane Carey

Ellen Ward

Please take a moment to visit these links and see what the participants have to say. You might gain insights into what to look for in your own experience, or what to plan for in future fake journaling efforts.

Also, if you sent in a link to your wrap up thoughts about your 2013 fake journal and you aren't on the list in this post I apologize again. Your link isn't buried in the files on my desk, but your email is buried in the hundreds of email alerts telling me people were going to visit the folks' house, and that their alarm was being turned off and then on. (The internet provides us with wonderful tools for sitting across town and monitoring another dwelling!)

So if I have overlooked you please take a moment to resend that email containing a link to your wrap up post. I will add you to this list.

In a sort of related note I have to say that much of what I did in my fake journal in 2013 has seeped into my other journaling work this year. I've been drawn to pattern, discovered a passion of pink (I know, I know) and just generally stopped trying to explain anything in my real journal because it has become very evident to me through current life events that many things are not explainable, or if we stop to explain them we might lose the thread to which we hold. Better to hold on to that thread. Better to journal than not journal. 

Thank you all again for your wonderful work through this celebration, for making it truly one of the funnest parts of my year. I will get my wrap up posted when it resurfaces (I have my eye on a particular pile). And I will look forward to what you all come up with for next year.