An art experience

Last Thursday, I went to SFMOMA to see a showing of the documentary film, 1000 Journals, about the 1000 Journals Project. This is a participatory art project that I had been interested in for a while. It started in 2000 when Someguy decided to send 1000 blank journals out into the world. Some were given to friends, some were left in coffee shops or on park benches. It eventually garnered a lot attention online and by word of mouth.

The SFMOMA has an exhibit up of the project with photos from the journals and actual journals. That's why they were doing the screening. Amusingly, during the film, there was a scene where the curator at SFMOMA explained to Someguy why the nature of the project was contradictory to putting together an exhibition.

The original 1000 journals are all out there and have lists of people signed up to get them eventually. So, 1001 Journals was started. Through 1001 Journals, you can start your own journal. You can either share your personal journal(s), start a location based journal, or start a traveling journal. A traveling journal can either be open for anyone to sign up for or you can close it and invite certain people (friends, family, etc.) sign up for it. The person who starts the journal is ultimately responsible for it and it would be understood that the entries would eventually be sent to the project to be scanned and shared with the world.

Should I start a traveling journal?

It would be a closed journal limited to people I know. The theme would be connecting to people, and in honor of that, in addition to your own personal entries, each person would be required to invite a friend, stranger, acquaintance, someone to make an entry with them. Make it an excuse to get together with someone you haven't seen in forever.

If you would be interested in doing this journal with me, post a comment here letting me know.