"And the Story is Happening" by Sabrina Ward Harrison

I was so happy to find that my local Dick Blick had copies of Sabrina Ward Harrison's new book, And the Story is Happening. I have almost all of her books (one of these days I would love to get her self published books but the cost has been out of my budget for awhile.) Her books are pure eye candy and very inspirational. Her latest offering, while not like Spilling Open, Brave on the Rocks or Messy Thrilling Life is also wonderful to look at but the buyer should be aware that it is a made to work in journal. It is along the lines of The True and The Questions. It has pages with layers of paint, pages of photographs, pages with handwritten prompts scrawled across them (I love Sabrina's writing.) It is an entirely made for you book ready for YOU to add YOUR personal touch. There is also an envelope full of collage ephemera at the beginning of the book (I photographed some of it above.) 

I won't be working in it. I have a very, very hard time working in a book that hasn't been made by my own hands. However, I will be adding it to her other books on my shelf ready for a moment of inspiration whenever I am in in need of it!

Some things that I have heard from my students and friends that Sabrina's work inspires them to:
Take more photographs
Play with their handwriting
Be more honest on their journal pages
Play with color
Play with collage
Open their eyes to color, shape, line and to actually SEE inspiration in the world around them

One thing that most folks should be aware of is that her work, while being offered as an art journal, her pages are actually tweaked. She went back in and reworked pages, etc... They are not journal pages as in the sense of, "here's my book, take any part you need as is" but rather, made for publication, tweaked pages (I met her at Vroman's in Pasadena when Spilling first came out. She discussed this and has also mentioned it in a few articles as well.) In a time where folks are worried about perfect pages, you need to realize this. YES, her pages are lovely, amazing and totally inspiring but they have been reworked for publication. 

This is something that I keep telling my students. Please, please, please stop comparing your work to what you see in books and magazines. Make it for YOU. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Don't compare. Push yourself and keep trying. Don't give up. Work your pages and with time, practice, trial and error they will sing of YOU. I am quite sure that is what Sabrina did. I know for sure that that's what I am still doing and hopefully you are, too! 


Hopefully Sabrina's latest offering will inspire you to pick up your scissors, glue stick, pens and collage materials and get working on your own messy, imperfect, brave, thrilling and uniquely yours life!

Comments

diana trout said…
Fabulous: both the honest review and the bit about "pretty pages." Thank you Kelly!
iHanna said…
Good to know, I thought it would be another journal book not a book to journal in... :-/
Sherri Cassell said…
Hi Kelly, I am still having a great time working on the journal I made in your class, it was so inspiring and fun. I am taking an online Photoshop Elements class from Kim Klassen (I think it is funny you both have the same initials) and she also posted in class this morning about Sabrina's book so I am going to have to check it out. Have a wonderful day! Sherri
Cheryl said…
Thanks Kelly, for letting us know Sabrina's new book is like The True.
Anonymous said…
Hi Kelly,

I just got my copy and was disapppointed.. some of the content looked like a re hash of her previous work.

Thanks for the update, 10 years ago, I had no idea how she did those pages and tried and tried..
till I discovered photoshop and realised they were closer to what we now call digital collage than anything else.

She still remains my hero, however I would have loved to see what her journalling style is these days.

cheers,

grrl+dog

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