Bookmaking Urge

A few years back, I took a community ed class and learned how to make a "basic" book. I have loved the process ever since and have gone on to make a few more and ventured from there to papermaking. I have never blocked out a lot of time to concentrate and get "really good" at it. Instead, once a year I will sit down and make a journal or book, or spend an afternoon making paper. The problem with doing something like that so sporadically is that I always have to spend hours going over the steps to get started. Well, I have a small pile of beautiful pink, green, white and blue homemade paper and I have been reviewing bookbinding instructions, so I am going to try and dedicate these Fall months to bookmaking! I'm a funny duck, I am fascinated by the love I have for paper (and I passed that on to my daughter, who grew up wanting to sell tickets, or take orders, play office...anything to do with paper!). Seriously, I will find a sale on blank notebooks or on paper and I will buy them and then just "look" at them!! Crazy!! Actually there was a time that I did the same thing with chocolate....I would buy it, put it in a drawer and leave it....I felt good just knowing it was there!! I digress.............back to bookmaking. Cutting and covering the boards for covers, selecting paper for the body, gluing , cutting, pressing, sewing...it really is time consuming but to end up with this book that you created and put together....well, it is a joy. BUT, I never write in them!! I think am going to start giving them away....also, I do want to start journaling, but I've been saying that for years now, so whether it will happen or not is another thing. I understand the whole catharsis feel associated with journaling and I believe it, yet I really hesitate at putting my thoughts down on paper......I wonder why? I do, to some degree, here on the blog....and maybe that is enough for now. Anyway, art books and travel journals also interest me so I may put my energy into one of those and see what happens...maybe I need to stick to the "creation" of the book, and leave the "writing" to another time. Well, those are the thoughts for today......