1000 Journals

There has been a fair amount of interest in the 1000 Journals project ,and as I can't find where I'd posted (or thought I'd posted) the relevent info,I'm sure Susan won't mind me cutting and pasting from the website info,particularly if it attracts more members!

This is the 1000 Mini-Journals FAQVersion 2: 6th January, 2006*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Welcome to the 1000 Mini-Journals group.
Please read this file and save it for the duration of theproject. If you have a question about the project that isnot addressed in this file, you can send your question to me at mailto:1000Journals-owner@yahoogroups.com or visit
http://www.Inspired2Write.com
and use the email form to contact me. I'll respond with an answer, usually within 48hours, and I'll also add your question and my response tothis FAQ.
Q: What is the background to the 1000 Mini-Journals group?1n 2005 a group of artistically-inclined writers from Europe and the USA combined their talents to create a miniportfolio of their work. In December 2005 their portfoliowas among amateur artworks auctioned to help Oxfam fund itslife-saving help-to-self-help projects around the world.But time marches on, especially for people in need. As oneproject comes to a close, we need to take a deep breath andmove ahead with the next. This time I've come up with an idea I know you'll love, and I'm secretly hoping you'll loveit so much you'll want to jump in and take part.
Q: What will we do in the 1000 Mini-Journals group?I'd like to complete a 1000-mini-journals project. The aim of the project is to collect 1000 or more tiny journals created, embellished, and written/collaged in by writers,artists, crafters, and scrapbookers around the world. At theend of 2006 the journals will be put on exhibition and thenauctioned for charity.
Q: Why 1000 mini-journals?
You may have heard of the Japanese tradition of folding onethousand origami cranes to make a dream come true. I wantedto pick up on that delightful idea, but I also understand the need to be practical. I can't see anyone bidding for1000 paper birds, so we need to offer items people willwant, and how many people can claim to own 1000 journals,however tiny? This project will be a highly original collaborative achievement.
Q: What is the advantage of this approach?The advantage of the 1000 mini-journal project is that itoffers individuals the opportunity to make a differencewithout having to make grand sacrifices, and to do sothrough their creative skills. I call it "the raindrop strategy." We will, if you like, show the strength and beauty of raindrops merging to a stream. We'll do that bydoing good through what we do well.
Q: Will there be cost involved?
The financial cost to participants is minimal: we're talking about cents for materials and a few cents more for postage per journal. The journals are so small you can make themusing leftovers from your other art and craft projects plus photos, junk mail, magazine pictures.... The time investment is also low: a basic journal takes less than five minutes to make (and looks great!), and the amount of time (and money)you choose to invest in writing and embellishing the journals you contribute lies entirely in your hands. All I ask is that you make the effort to create journals you'dwant to bid for and feel proud to own.
Q: Can you show me examples?
You can see some examples on this page:http://www.Inspired2Write.com/workshop/1000jour.html
You'll also find examples in the "how to" file you receivealong with this message.Once the group is running, you'll also be able to look at examples in the folders in the group "files" section. Youcan upload scans of your work to these folders, too, soothers can see what you've done.Q: How will we work?
Participants will sign into this Yahoogroup. I provide bothwritten and visual instructions for creating the journal.All the journals will be in the same easy-to-make, no-fussformat, and the beauty of the project will express itselfthrough the diversity of the writing and decoration. I'llalso post writing prompts as suggestions on a regular basis.We'll be able to use the group to share questions, tips, andideas. We'll also be able to scan and post images ofjournals so we can share in each other's creativity.Q: Is there anything you want to avoid?What I'd like to avoid is having a group full of people whoonly want to have the prompts and instructions. It'scompletely unnecessary. There are hundreds of websitesonline where people can pick up craft instructions andwriting prompts at no cost. I'd prefer they use them, andnot the mini-journals group.Q: What's the commitment?What I'm hoping for are writer-crafter-artists who will commit to this project from January through October 2006, or for part of that period, and then act on their commitment.
The specific commitment is small and simple:
each participant will create one or more journals for the project each month from January through October and send them to me.I'll share my postal address in late January.Participant Q: Who is the charity? Will it be Oxfam again?The name of the 2006 charity isn't chiseled in stone yet. Inpast years, I've chosen Oxfam, because it is an established charity with a "help-to-self help" approach. It's also well-known world-wide (also to potential amateur art purchasers),which makes it easy to link the art and the aid.I am very open to participant suggestions, but (a) wouldlike to avoid charities that try to evangelize (in any way)or that support warfare in any respect. I also need to give to a charity that I can donate to without giving money to the banks by paying currency conversion fees. In otherwords, the process of turning the art into a donation must be easy for me. If I use the art auction, it is, and I don'thave to do all the work myself.I'll be asking for suggestions as we reach the end of theproject, so if you have a favourite charity, you're welcometo propose and present it then.names be listed or acknowled
Participant Q: Will our geonline as well as, presumably, during the exhibition?All participants will be asked to complete a short bio. The artist bios will be bound into a booklet to be displayed along with the mini-journals. There will be no special online display/exhibition. Artist-donor's names will beacknowledged on the Inspired2Write website and in theInspired2Write eZines, but other than that, there isno online aspect involved in the project.
Q: What else do I need to know?Participants declare that they are aware that the journals they donate to the project will be publicly viewed and be auctioned for charity in late 2006. Participants will not receive any form of payment for materials or postage and packaging. Journals cannot be returned. Susan Letham and/orInspired2Write cannot be held responsible for losses ordamage to journals in transit.
Q: Can I tell my friends about this project?
Please do! The more of us who work together, the easier itwill be to meet the target and go beyond it!
Your friends can join by sending a blank email to:1000Journals-subscribe@yahoogroups.comor by going to:URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1000Journals*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*Important susan.letham@inspired2write.com*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

I hope this is of some use to you!