mish-mosh talky talk

Am I the only one who gets that eeeeeeck nails-on-chalkboard feeling when art journaling is compared to scrapbooking?

I can understand the connection when made by people who don't know about it. But saying they're alike is like putting "White Chicks" and "Citizen Kane" in the same category simply because they're both on film.

I don't know why it is. Just the cute layouts with the die-cuts and brads and papers and such.....it feels so flat. Yes, memories are preserved, but that's it. There's little soul. And of course, this doesn't apply to ALL scrapbook pages -- I've seen some AMAZING stuff out there that DOES speak. But on a whole....

I just read over on Journal Revolution the message from a scrapbooker -- go over and read it. I think that message clearly illustrates the differences between art journalers and scrapbookers. We use EVERYTHING, work from our souls, and aim for self-discovery. They work to preserve memories for many years to come. One is not better than the other, just DIFFERENT.

Half the stuff in my journals is going to yellow and break and such. But that's part of the awesomeness of the journal -- nothing is permanent. 'Tis the nature of life.

When I started art journaling, I had NO IDEA what I was doing. My father's a printer, and has been for over 30 years -- much of my knowledge of all that stuff comes from him. So when I wanted to glue things down flat, without the goopy white glue mess, I got rubber cement. It worked awesomely. Things stayed down. There was no mess. Go outside the edges? Rub it off! Things were flat and pretty and, yes, I do like the smell. I also like the smell of gas. HAHA. Toxic stuff come my way! *laughs*

Imagine my surprise when I read in one of the first books on mixed-media I got that rubber cement looses it's glue power AND yellows over time. I was like, "OMG, I can't use it anymore!" So I stopped. Got gel medium. And double-sided tape (mmmmmmmm I love it!).

Typing that out, maybe I SHOULD go get some more! I loved it! It works so well! Who cares if it's against the rules? HECK. I'm gonna go get some today and use it and if it falls apart in 10 years, oh well!

Are there any rules YOU could break today?

Comments

[katie]

You know what I don't like about scrapbooking?

1. It is incredibly expensive!! Just about everything that goes into my art journals is free. I even make my own books to use out of recycled cardboard. I prefer recycling, rather than lining the pockets of big companies making a profit from an artist's design. But, that's just me.

2. Scrapbook pages are too pretty pretty, and life isn't like that. To me, it's almost like creating false memories. Life isn't that pretty or flawless. I don't care how cute the kids are. heh!

But, you're right. Neither one is better than the other. It's just different personal choices on how you want to document your life.

[Becky New]

Wellll.... I agree.... to a point. I used to be one of the *by-the-rules* scrapbooker until it drove me bonkers. Moved to rubber stamping. Then to mixed media. Then.... I combined all the bloody things and now I have art journals... with no rules.

[dani]

It doesn't bother me at all when scrapbooking is compared to art journaling. I came to scrapbooking from art journaling.... I don't think one is better than the other, I do them both how I want to do them and I'm not worried about wether one layout/page/project/whatever doesn't look "real enough" or wether one layout/layout/page/project/whatever is too "revealing" (obviously, I just share what I feel comfortable sharing as far as posting my stuff goes..). And I like to do the majority of my work using my own personal photos just because I seem to be most inspired by those, but I use non personal images too - I just do what I want! I spend what I want, I use what I want.... lol, you get what I'm saying.
I also think it's easy to look at a scrapbook page and not see "the soul" BUT maybe to the person who made it, they really did put a lot of themselves into it. If die cuts and brads are how they do it then that's cool. And maybe some people don't put a lot of their soul into it, that's ok too! Some people need/want to, some people don't. But I don't think it's fair to declare one hobby has "more soul" than the other.
Personally, I don't worry about using archival items. But to some people it's important to them, and I think that's ok too, everybody should do what makes them happy. I don't want to spend time putting down the way people choose to do this kind of stuff. To each their own.
Don't get me wrong, I hate that the commenter of the video felt like she had to say that - I mean really... why waste time putting something down like that? It's about time we started swallowing the majority of our opinions, accepting that some things just aren't going to be our cup of tea and MOVE ON.
It just bums me out a bit to hear creative people
(like that video commenter) putting what they do into a box.... change and discovery is one of my favorite things about art!

love your blog btw!! :)

[Nina]

SK - your whole self has opened up so beautifully in the last (6?) months -- it's such a pleasure to read and see. I'm dee-lighted for you and can't wait until I move to Chicago, so I can see the healer, too:-)

[Pamdelion]

Hi;

I watched your You Tube stuff, and now I want to give art journeling a go. I've done 1001 Journals, but I just drew pictures. The stuff you do looks so much more interesting.

[lia]

GREAT post Kira!! Love the 'white chicks'/citizen kane comparison! lol! I so identify! yes, I agree with it not lasting forever, you put it all so well. ~lia

[Hanna]

Have you ever seen one of those interior design tv programs where a interior designer comes and does a "room make over" and then the person who owns the room comes in and says:

this is sooo me, I could've never figured out this myself, I adore everything! it's perfectly what I wanted (but had no idea that I wanted)...

I never understand those people either!
:-)

[Lori]

It doesn't bother me at all either...I came to art journaling through scrapbooking, actually. I don't even distinguish myself as either, because I can't. Art is art, right? A form of self-expression. I have encountered more and more artists who are blurring the line between them. In my own journal pages, I use watercolors, and acrylics, pastels, ticket stubs, magazine clippings....but I also use chipboard, pretty patterned papers, decorative scissors, journaling tags, ribbon, archival pens, etc....whatever is speaking to me then...or best expresses what I need to say. I think that's why it's called mixed media....there are no rules! Why qualify your own art with a "description"? Let's break some rules! :):)

[Angela]

I have never heard of scrap booking and art journaling called the same thing. Its obviously -not- the same thing.

However, I did hear a friend, who was asked what an ATC was, said it was little cards you make for your scrapbook. WTF? I was so confounded that I didn't know what to say. Sure, you can PUT them in your scrapbook, but they're for trading, not stowing away. And to boot, she had never made any herself. She only read about it in a magazine. And I had -shown- her my cards, for crying out loud lol

Dangit all, I didn't know that about rubber cement. I love that stuff! But I shall continue to use it when I can get a new bottle. Though I really do prefer my gel medium, now that I have some.