Maj Carita: Open letter about JournalFest 2009

Thank you for a very unique experience at Journalfest in October.

What a beautiful setting Fort Worden is!

I really enjoyed walking the grounds and the beach at Fort Worden in the small intervals I found at an otherwise busy and very intense Retreat!

To a newbie like myself, this was pretty overwhelming!

But I let myself be swept away by the wonderful, creative crowd of people you two attract.

The meals were events in themselves. Not only were they tasty and healthy, but also gave us the occasion to make new friends, to chat, and to trade.

I came to see Journalfest as a magic place where creative souls meet in a protected environment to learn, to exchange, to experiment, and to make new connections.

Each of us returns with more than the sum of Journalfest because our experiences from it allow us to grow.

I had Dan Essig in my first class. In the photo below Dan is in the foreground demonstrating a technique.

I was impressed with how well prepared he was, and how smoothly he guided us all through the day. It was so very satisfying to have created a small, beautiful, original, and fun journal at the end of class!

Dan had already taken the trouble of preparing paper for the pages, to cut the covers to size and even providing us with the right size ephemera to use, so all we had to do was concentrate on sewing, gluing, and learning the steps for the intricate covers. They look hard to do, but step by step, they are not hard to make. Thanks Dan! (I will show a picture of my journal in a later post)

Dan came across as a serious handcrafts man, who really knows the ins and outs of his trade!

A very fine class!

And I got to meet Judy (at the right in the photo below, wearing a white T-shirt .) We had been exchanging security envelopes, but I only ever met her online. Great to share two classes with you, Judy!

Theo Ellsworth was my teacher on the second day. In the picture above, you see Theo with a beard at the back.

I don’t know why, but I had pictured Theo as an older guy… but Theo must be about 35! Sorry, Theo! Maybe you are an old soul? ;)

On a personal level I was impressed by Theo. His quiet way may mislead you to think him shy, but boy, does he come across when you listen to him a little while!

Theo changed our classroom into a magic bubble, a place to feel safe, and I was confident that whatever came out of my pen would be just fine! (In other words, the inner critic got left outside, on the doorstep.)

With fun little games and warm-up exercises Theo gave us the possibility to access our own private creative level, and to communicate with our creative selves.

I was impressed with how well Theo tackled logic questions to a non-logic process!

After the class he gave us a small zine with “homework” – and a diploma! All in his playful style, with wonderful magical creatures. YAY!

This was a much needed quiet interlude in the middle of the high energies of Journalfest!

Thank you so much Theo!

For someone not already familiar with L.K. Ludwig’s working methods, I warmly recommend her class!

She generously shares her techniques. She provides little chocolates. She is experimenting and there is no stopping her ever new creative ventures!

I had done quite a bit of preparation for her class, which also had an extensive list of tools and art materials to bring. Unfortunately I already had some experience with most of the techniques she showed. And I had hoped for a bit more in dept discussion of journaling methods, the writing, and the processing of thoughts… But maybe I had not read the class instructions closely enough…

Thank you all the same, L.K. I heard quite a bit of whooping and excited cries around me, so I know you gave others a great experience!

The evenings were a chapter apart!

Having fun with Lisa. Lisa Cheney Jorgensen is an awesome artist!

Every night had new features and fun events. It was great to meet people, and to share stories. I loved the live band (“Surrealized") hired for our Journaling party. And the great door prices on the last evening. Not to forget all the little bits and pieces for journaling and otherwise, that we were gifted with throughout the fest.

With a lingering jetlag and a cold, I was pretty wasted at nine, but off course, the party continued in the dorm! I hung in there for as long as I could. Then I put in some ear plugs. And put on layers of clothes to sleep in. (my room was freezing, but dear Doris Arndt from across the hall got me an extra blanket from her car. Thank you Doris, you saved me!).

Here is my JournalFest friend Wendy! So glad to have met her!

Journalfest was a wonderful experience for me!

I cherish the new friends I made. And I hope to get a chance to reconnect with people I met briefly, but who left a lasting impression.

And I hope – I really, really hope – to get the chance of being a part of Journalfest in the future!

Cheers to you, Tracey and Teesha, for giving us the opportunity to meet, to learn, and to grow. What you do is truly unique and beautiful!

The last morning we were freezing outside for a while, before the doors were opened for breakfast. We had a glorious sunrise and entering the hall, classical music was playing. Do I have to tell you I was sad to leave?