R.I.P. Journal

Today was our official last day of the Wreck This Journal meeting group.


Although it didn't go as I had imagined, I can say that a lot of good things came out of the group:

1. I discovered that I wasn't the only one who was yearning for a creative outlet. A lot of people shared that the meeting group was a good way to channel that energy.
   
2. It was a great environment for sharing not only the assignments presented in the journal but also our own ideas for creative projects. We participated in a Photo Challenge and dabbled in Japanese calligraphy and created song lyric posters.
   
3. Without the group, I don't think the company art show would have been as successful as it was. Everyone's input really contributed to its success.
4. The journal really gave us a great excuse to do things we normally wouldn't do in a journal like set pages on fire, smudge pages with dirt, or vandalize pages to our heart's content.

Where do we go from here? Well, we discussed continuing the meeting group but under a different pretense. Instead of letting the journal be our creative guide, we would start fresh and allow people to take turns leading the meetings. People would get the opportunity to lead the group into different creative endeavors. Here's what we brainstormed so far:

1. Create "Green" Projects - Each challenge would be centered around trying to create something useful out of something we would normally just throw away (like pantyhose, plastic curtain containers, toilet paper rolls, shower curtain rings, egg cartons, plastic jugs, and shoulder pads).
2. Continue doing other projects like Japanese calligraphy and introduce new projects like Celtic lettering.
3. Participate in something similar to 1,000 words where members bring in photographs and other members accept the challenge of writing story consisting of exactly 1,000 words to go with it.
4. Develop a book of Jim-isms (in honor of the always entertaining JP).

I think it's going to be an exciting follow-up to the journal. Hip-hip-hooray for creative vision.

"I fall back on this journal just as some other poor devil takes to drink."
-Unknown