Fuck Yeah, Book Arts!

nevver:

Theories of Anxiety

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” — Vincent van Gogh

We’ve all experienced it at some point in our personal or professional lives. When our creative energy fizzles up and the clouds of self-doubt, panic and depression descend, the vicious cycle of creative block can become overwhelming.

I’m a firm believer that everyone is capable of being creative (beyond the obvious vocations such as artists, writers, musicans) such as mathmaticians finding the theory of color, or professionals having to pitch ideas in business meetings. 

For creatives working in all mediums, their work is often an integral -and perhaps even a defining- piece of their identity. Their art directly correlates to how they express themselves and interpret the world around them, so when the ideas stop flowing, it is unsurprising that it can often be related to an individual’s state of wellbeing and self-worth.

I’m interested in your experiences, both negative and positive: how you did/didn’t deal with your struggles in the face of adversity (going through/not going through stages such as procrastination, denial, fear, optimism, etc). Most especially, I’d love to hear from those willing to part with any tips or advice for those in similar positions, as a means to help overcome or avoid such situations, and get the creative juices flowing once more.

I will be collecting in submissions over the next month, and I hope to include the best anecdotes within a small self-help style pamphlet, for an non-commercial art college project.

All are welcome to submit regardless of age, country or occupation. Submission requires a paragraph or two of your experience, although more unusual forms of entries on the subject (such as poems, lists, charts, comics, photographs etc) are also encouraged. Your entry will be accredited to your name, and you will be contacted if it is chosen for the final draft. Submit here, or by email: xsweetvisagex@gmail.com.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing your stories!

xThe Book Arts Girl

monoscope:

how sad?

theoinglis:

“Jason Booher designs book covers as well as other things”

DIY Instagram Mini Album (by studiocalico)

Proverbial Threads by Robbin Ami Silverberg

For the series I chose to focus on text, working with proverbs from cultures around the world that focus on woman’s work. It consists of an open series (over 100) of industrial bobbins, each wrapped with paper threads that have printed on them a repeated proverb about women’s work. Here is a small selection of proverbs:

1. “The threaded needle judges the girl.” (Spanish, Argentina)
2. “The only skill that women have is turning the spinning wheel.” (Hebrew)
3. “A household with a woman is like a flower bed, a household without one like a wasteland.” (Uzbek)
4. “A wife is the best piece of furniture.” (Dutch)
5. “However smart a woman may be, she will end up in the kitchen.” (Indonesian)
6. “Do not humiliate your wife; she is your home.” (Ovambo, Angola/ Namibia)
7. “Housewife at home, pancake in honey.” (Russian)

(By rubyetc)

featherumbrellas:

I fall in love with words, not you

(featherumbrellas - poem series #19)

(via sweetvisage)

katiejonesbarlow:

Sketchbook pages from a visual essay: a tea house

Dry Bark Book by Stephanie Frederick