Library Remnants, New Life, & Poetry

So I’m a bit of a book hoarder and when I see a pile of free books it’s hard to resist rummaging through each worn title. Sometimes I find a subject I’m genuinely curious about and want to read- great. But what about the two dozen that don’t have a happy home?

Book art.

Have you been online to see some of the gorgeous creations you can make out of these old tomes? It’s astounding.

Have you finished ogling other’s creativity? Good, because it’s now time to do your own. A dear friend challenged me to try poetry. “I’m not into it,” I said feeling the ghost of poetry past too close to bear. “This is different,” she said handing me a piece of paper containing a page from Gone With the Wind.

“This is black-out poetry,” tossing me a thick permanent marker. I feel like I’m a vandal sneaking into someone’s home, except it’s a book.

I felt bad at first, crossing off all the words on the single page that didn’t speak to me, but as I continued it felt freeing. These are someone else’s words but crossing them off based on my mood, my environment, or my feelings make the words mine.

I’m not forcing it, it’s just fluid and organic.

So pick up a remnant title (come on they’re free!) and make your own black out journal. One page or a two page spread a day and by the end of the book you will have a spectrum of journaling like you’ve never had before.