For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake- and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Acclaimed illustrator Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts-poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, and more-in order to experience the true creative process. Readers discover a new way of art and journal making-and new ways to escape the fear of the blank page and fully engage in the creative process.
Anonymous
Posted March 12, 2008
This was a hard thing for me to start being a book and journal lover the idea of wrecking one one purpose was unimaginable. But my friend and I each got one and planned on sharing our progress. But I have found this to be very freeing and also it has aloud me to be more creative.
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 20, 2009
I Also Recommend:
Wreck This Journal requires a sense of humor and not taking oneself too seriously. It truly does help a person overcome the hurdles of fear of failure in artistic expression. The journal includes directions or suggestions for its usage on each set of facing pages. For example, you may spend time poking holes through the page of the journal with a pencil, or making a list of four letter words.
There are many suggestions for wrecking the journal from taking it in the shower or wearing it for a day, leaving it sit out for passersby to write, and other silly things. I personally have been working on the page on which I put all the labels or numbers that I collect off fresh fruit. Now that is silly, but keeping the Journal can provide moments of joyful play for those who enjoy off- beat pursuits.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I bought this book after seeing so many pools on Flickr dedicated to it, and just being in love with how cute, funny it seemed! I went out and bought it right away. At first, I was a little scared. Pages were not as welcoming to me, very little artistic creativity, as I had seen before. Some people had created far more amazing books than I could of ever imagined.
I suggest you have thick markers, skinny markers, crayons, double sided tape, regular tape, a glue stick and plenty of other misc. art supplies and materials before you buy this book. It is going to take a long time to finish.
Some of my favorite activities were showing with the book and documenting dinner. I smudge some of my chinese food on it one night, haha! I recommend you do small activities, THEN you shower. I colored with washable markers all over, and was quite proud of the result, I couldn't shower with it.
My final note is beware if you are not very creative: You may find this book becomes a chore. The bare pages welcome ideas and creativity, however if you lack talent and your hello kitty drawings come out looking for deformed mouses, you may not enjoy this as much as you could.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 12, 2008
This book is great! Any creative person should own this book. This book allows you to put your own uniqueness and creativity into it. eg. you write the own page numbers.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MrsC
Posted August 15, 2009
My children (ages 9, 11, and 13) love this book! Each page asks the reader to do something desructive to the book. By the time they have finished the book, it has been written in, splattered in, dropped, ripped, and more. The favorite was when they had to take it in the shower with them. Not what you usually get to do with a book! We love books and always take care of them and this did not encourage them to destroy other books, but made it fun that they were given the O.K. to wreck it with my consent. This would make a great gift!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I stumbled upon this book while searching for more journals with prompts. As it turns out, this book has a large following, young and old alike. After scouring the search engines (just type in the title), I discovered what the buzz is all about. I eagerly bought one for myself and one for my teenage daughter as a means for us to share a project and create. I couldn't wait for them to arrive.
We've been working in the journals now since May 30, 2009. While it would be easy to just work through several of the prompts each day, we've decided to take our time and give some thought to the words as we interpret them at our leisure.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone like myself who:
(1) journals and/or doodles obsessively, consistently or rarely
(2) would not ever think of defacing a book
(3) needs help with overcoming creative barriers
(4) is artsy crafty
(5) may or may not need another journal
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Spirals
Posted May 8, 2010
This book is so much fun! I bought it while visiting friends and we had a ball with this book!! The kids loved looking through the pages and doing what it said to do! I'm waiting for them to mail it to me now!! Such a great book!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It's a very creative Journal.My imagination has gone off the charts,seriously.Its worth buying,it also works as a stress reliever.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.cloudysunshine
Posted August 22, 2009
Wreck This Journal is an exciting way to involve friends in crazy new adventures.. Examples of the pages include: Doing something destructive to the book. My friends and I have run the book over, thrown it down a hill, tried to feed it to ducks, and even more! The book makes you think outside of the box, while also breaking perfectionist habits! Wreck This Journal is a great buy for any person looking for a way to use their imagination! I highly recommend it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Stressedout-Perfectionist
Posted August 22, 2009
I am so glad I got this book! I use it often to remind myself that life is too short to get caught up in the little stuff. Take a moment to just enjoy the art of imperfection and what it is--It's guided journaling meant to purge the ideals that everything has to be just so--I'm giving it out to my younger siblings for finals week this year as I think it will help them to relieve stress and remember to laugh.
I definitely recommend this book for anyone, especially if you are a perfectionist who is tired of the pressure you put on yourself, this will help you get a release from that pressure and put a smile back on your face and perhaps even help get rid of that wrinkle on your forehead. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 27, 2009
It is completely against my nature to abuse a book. Even a paperback. So it was a stretch for me to actually carry out the instructions within the pages. But the concept was immediately appealling when I found it in the store. It has proven to be a good exercise in loosening up for me. I'm hoping to jog the creativity stuck in my brain.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.tayyy
Posted December 24, 2008
This book is amazing! The people at my school are always finding the next thing to do to the journal. I loveeeeee this journal!!!!! :D
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 21, 2012
very fun and entertaining.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 20, 2012
I Also Recommend:
This book is a blessed reminder that nobody is perfect. It is fun. It is creative. It's almost therapeutic. This book is must have. I'd also recommend "When God Stopped Keeping Score." It is an intimate look at the power of God and forgiveness. It's on sale here too on BN and it too is a must have.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DearSherryx3
Posted January 8, 2012
I got this book as a gift for my sister. She's a mother of two and recently had to give up scrapbooking because of the blades, small pieces, etc. I wanted to get her something fun so I decided to try out this book. She loved it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 6, 2010
It's such a great book. It's so fun and creative. I've already convinced about 50 people to buy this :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 13, 2010
My 10 year old grandson got this as a gift from his uncle last week. It's hilarious! He wants to send one to his uncle so the two of them can challenge each other. It's a great gift book for just about anyone who has an inner sense of creativity and fun. This book gives the reader a lesson in how to destroy a book while making art. It will allow you to be silly, to laugh, to be imaginative and creative, and end up with a book that will look worn out and well read, and be a keepsake forever. You will laugh while reading through it, laugh while following instructions, and laugh when you have finished it and put it on a shelf to savor again and again all the moments you spent with this wonderful and silly journal. A great way to fill the long summer days!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2010
This book is hours of fun alone or with others. I carry mine with me everywhere and it is great when I have to wait somewhere with nothing to do and it is even more fun when out with friends. You can start conversations with strangers and waiters and waitresses, you can take pictures of your friends writing with the pen in their mouth, you can even pick up members of the opposite sex. Even if you only pull this journal out every few months you will be glad you have it!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is never ending fun. I got one for myself and my 7 year old daughter for a trip that included a long plane ride. We had so much great discussion, laughs and general fun sketching in the book and experiencing this book together. Each page has a different task and pages to revisit as the journal gets filled with delightful minutia of your day and ideas. Even after the trip, we visit our journals daily to weekly and "wreck" our journals and we are still not done. Love Keri Smith and this book. Don't know when we will complete our "Wreck this Journal"s but we are having a ball doing it. Thank you, Keri for a great experience.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KatyLou
Posted April 8, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I have just enjoyed this book so much. It's not at all what I expected. The challenges can be a little hard to do. We are taught to treat books gently and not to write in them or crack their spines. This book breaks all the book rules. You will find yourself scribbling in it, and making paper chains, and even chewing up a page. I have a friend that bought a copy too, and we will grab each others books and just have fun.
I can't wait to buy this book for gifts for some of my more creative friends. It truly is just so much fun and it has oddly helped me with being more creative in other areas of my life because it helps me think out of the box.
Overview
For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake- and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Acclaimed illustrator Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts-poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting with coffee, and more-in order to ...