Experimenting and Journaling at The Skirball -- My Design on a Journal Project Cover

Ten years ago a designer named Brian Singer had the idea to have various artists decorate the covers of a series of blank journals (1000) and then he sent them off around the world with the invitation to journal. So far the original journals have travelled through 40 countries. Poetry, musings, scribbles and lovely works of art now grace these modest little books.

Right now the Skirball Cultural Center has an exhibit of 15 of those original journals. The project is still on-going – the next batch of journals (the 1001 journals) have cover art by several Los Angeles based artists. The books have circulated around the city and then gone back to the Skirball to be added to by visitors to the cultural center. They will be added to a number of new volumes already launched to continue Singer’s dream of journal-sharing.

The exhibit will be at the Skirball until February 13, and if you can get there before the books continue on their way around the world, you can draw, write or add collages onto the pages of the books (art materials are supplied!) and there’s a wonderful sense of fun and creativity in the room, which has work areas, supplies and even a couch where you can create in comfort. The point of this project? To be creative and to promote understanding, interaction and connection between people all over the world. 

 

Winning Cover Design (image on right)


In December I joined other SCBWI members for an afternoon visit to the Skirball. We met Jason Porter, the co-curator (and SCBWI member) of the 1000 Journals Project exhibition. We each created journal pages -- it was fun to see each other’s work and I found them all to be excellent! Then we voted on our favorites. I’m pleased to say my design won, and it will be on the cover of one of the journals which will go on to “destinations unknown.”

Check out more photos on the Skirball's flickr site....