Journal Revolution: Rise Up & Create! Art Journals, Personal Manifestos and Other Artistic Insurrections

WOW. It's hard to describe in words the "WOW" feeling you get as you pour over the opening pages of this book. The writing is easy to read, with detailed instructions (but no hard and fast rules to memorize and follow) and written in a lyrical, poetic manner that makes you open your eyes to the beauty in the smallest every day things, and, more importantly, the beauty in your own unique way of looking at the universe. It is full of practical tips for HOW to journal, a wide range of ideas for materials to use and gives you lots of mental jumping-off points to move your process along. If you ever have looked in wonder at the artistic journals of creative people and wondered if you might have the tiniest bit of ability to make something beautiful yourself, READ THIS BOOK!!! It will give you the freedom and courage to pick up a crumpled piece of paper, the nearest writing implement, a glue stick and JUST START. It isn't pretentious. You won't need any art experience at all to follow it's instructions but even WITH an artistic background, you will find something new and inspirational to get your butt in gear! Art isn't always 'pretty'. And freeing you from the need to make something perfect is just ONE of the gifts this book's authors has in store for you! Just get messy, have fun, and write down your own personal truths.

Another fabulously written book by Linda and Karen, The pages are exciting and the artwork is messmerizing. I have laughed over and over. Well written, full of fun. The pages really jump out at you. Linda and Karen can walk anyone down the path to ART. Their simple plans and layouts work for the beginner to novice. I always learn new great stuff and Linda has built uo mu confidence in mixed media. Thanks SISTAS for another fabUlous Art book. Sherrie Byrd Lewis Willow Moon Market

Karen and Linda have done it again! Journal Revolution is the perfect follow up to Visual Chronicles! This book is just as funny, and also shows many types of journaling and art, yet the style is new and exciting. The book is empowering and inspiring with out being overbearing. These sisters have the ability to relate to their readers as if they were sitting right there next to them, talking as friends would. You feel like Linda and Karen (and even Rosie!) are right there with you spilling paint and cutting out words. The art and writing are intimate and personal, and we get to see inside the minds and lives of these authors in a much deeper way than before. The fonts project and fauxlaroid project alone are worth the price of the book. You'll also never look at a calendar the same way again. Journal Revolution is different than any book out there.

From the cover of this book, I expected a 'revolution' in colors and style, and I hoped to see journaled art with different subjects or styles than in all the other books. Wow! Journal Revolution delivers. The authors are so funny, so the writing and the art made me laugh out loud. The writing and art also made me explore my self, my city, and my life, and see how to create scrapbook and journal pages that are totally me, not "me," done as some other artist would do it. The book helps you create in your style, using your fonts and your colors and your own words instead of quotes from a book of quotes. Very freeing, very inspiring!

Lets start by recognizing that these girls really know their stuff. To imagine that Journal Revolution is a "how-to" or a "scrapbook idea book" is wrong; everyone should "get" that this, like Visual Chronicles, is a free-yourself-of-inner-angst/give-yourself-permission-to-express-the-inner-artist kind of book and then some! The excellent use of examples, the colors utilized in the presentation, the projects themselves: mind-expanding! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is an artist, who wants to be an artist, who thinks they cannot possibly be an artist: you don't even have to want to be an artist to get the gist of this baby! So go for it; invest the less-than-$20. and jump-start your creativity. This is the one to go for.