allthatjazz visual journal

allthatjazz visual journal
Originally uploaded by Jam_mam.

Now that I have finished my block and it is on it's way to Aus I thought I would record some more titbits about the process. I wasn't going to show my visual journal because it's not very 'visual' but I read an interesting piece on SharonB's blog inaminuteago tonight which has made me reconsider.

I am not a very visual person. I am only newly come to cq and to putting ideas together for myself rather than using other people's designs. I wanted a record of the block as the block it's self was not to be kept, so I decided I would have a go at making a journal. The 'all that jazz' project was the first thing to go into my journal.

I don't think in pictures. When people talk about 'visualising' things I really don't know what they mean. I can write a scenario in my head but it is a narative , not a picture. So my journal for the all that jazz block is more of a mind map a la Buzzan than it is a sketch pad or even a place to doodle.

All my life (as long as I can remember) I have believed that I cannot draw. I have thought of trying to learn, bought books on 'drawing on the right side of the brain' and so forth but never been able to draw. It is something I leave to other people who will make a better job of it than me. This is not an emotional statement, although i have morned the lack of any artistic ability in the past, it is true. But I am resigned to it being so. And truely it does not bother me any longer.

This, then, is the beauty of sewing. As fewer people can/want to sew, my ability with a needle has been my art. I can do something that other people do not think they can (the truth for me is that they could if they wanted, but don't know it). In the past I have been happy to cross stitch, which I see as sewing by numbers. I have discussed this before in this blog.

When I came to think about ideas for my block I needed/wanted a way to record and to stimulate visual concepts and images, but I did it in a way which is comfortable for me - I did it in words.

In order that the words were clear I took two photos of the double page I used to 'think' on paper about my block.