Wreck This Journal

by Keri Smith

Book Overview

For anyone who's ever wished to, but had trouble starting, keeping, or finishing a journal or sketchbook comes Wreck This Journal , an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake- and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Acclaimed illustrator Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts-poking holes through pages, adding photos...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 039953346X
• ISBN13: 9780399533464
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Perigee Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

I love this

I absolutely love this .one of my favorites I've purchased

Cool book

It’s so fun but came with 2 pages done but I don’t mind

Four of the pages were scribbled in so was part of the cover.

I see people doing these everywhere and As soon as I had this crazy journal in my hands I've already started coming up with creative idea's. Would definitely recommend if you are creative and love art and wrecking things. 🩷

Best Journal I have seen for teens and young adults

Not your typical journal: For anyone who is leery to pick up a pen and write this is the perfect creative outlet to let go of stress.

What a fun little journal!

I've seen this journal in bookstores and online for years... but until now, it was nothing but a curiosity. Having bought it and begin using it, I have to say that there aren't too many other books that are just a joy to use.

A lot of fun

I just got it today, already its super fun! But do try to get it in as nice shape as possible, 9 of the pages and the back cover were colored/written in already

The most fun I've had in years!

I received this book less than 24 hours ago, and so far it has been a blast! I battled cancer last year, and was given dozens (literally) of pretty blank journals. I didn't open any of them. I didn't want to write about cancer and process about cancer. I wanted to KILL CANCER and demolish any and all cancer-related merchandise. This journal is so cathartic. It doesn't take itself too seriously but allows for rage, anger, fear, despair, and all kinds of other messy emotions. Plus, I finally found a use for all the stickers I have laying around in drawers and cabinets. It is sad that we live in a society in which some of us need "permission" to cut, tear, mutilate, and destroy things in an effort to purge nastiness from our heads. But -- since we do, I'm glad this book is out there.

Every person needs this book

This book is just plain fun! I think everyone needs it. This book is all about having fun, playing, creating, letting loose and breaking all the rules. I can't tell you how much fun I've had with this journal. At first some of the "assignments" seemed a little strange and I wasn't sure if I would actually do some of them. But I have to tell you that once I got into it I was having a blast with this book and doing all the fun and silly things Keri suggests. This book would be the perfect stress reliever for anyone. It would also be a great way to bring out that inner child in all of us. You can make a mess, tear things up, play around and do all the things that most of us adults have long since given up. Forget about all the stuffy journals out there that want you analyze your dreams and explore your deepest thoughts. Just play and have some fun. This book is all you need!

not quite expected...

For some reason, during preorder, I thought this was a book to read. Like, a book full of words that you sit down in a chair with a cup of coffee and read through from start to finish. You know...a *book*. When it arrived, then, I was a little disappointed to find that it wasn't, in fact, a book to read at all. It looked like just journal prompts -- bits of writing on the page and lots of blank space for you to fill in. I set it aside. I picked it back up when I was getting ready to put it on the shelf, where it would have languished with the other books I'd get around to someday. I flipped through it. A prompt caught my eye. I started reading the prompts and blurbs, and it started sinking in: this isn't a book at all. This is PARTICIPATORY. This is a book that doesn't let you sit there, passively, with your coffee, just observing what the author's trying to say. This is a book that makes you get up, makes you smear it with crazy and beat it up in ways that most people couldn't imagine treating their books or journals. Especially not a journal. Wrecking a *journal*? Over the next few days, I carried this book with me and beat the livin' tar out of it. I followed the prompts. I wrote on pages with food and with my tongue. I ripped pages out and crumpled them up and stuck them back in. I sat with it in a chair with my coffee, for sure, but I also spilled coffee on it -- on purpose. I wrote in things backwards and scribbled really, really hard. In short, this book went through things that most of us should never have to. I kicked this thing around and waited while it came back for more. And, you know...? It was TREMENDOUSLY LIBERATING. I beat the snot outta the pages, but when I was done, there was a whole new surface for me to look at and consider. I found new colors (thanks to berry-blue gum and dirt). I found that I really like painting over surfaces that have been scored by ballpoint pens and fingernails, and that watercolor over crumpled paper makes the most interesting texture, always unpredictable. What I thought was going to be a disappointment has probably been one of the best books out there for getting me to "lighten up" a bit and just get back to playing freely on a page. From one star in my brain, this book elevated itself with its simple presentation and revolutionary (to me) ideas to a five-star keeper. I'm even considering getting more, to hand out to artists-blocked friends this holiday season. Get this book. Even if you're not blocked now, or can't imagine defacing a book (even if it tells you to). One day, if you ever are, this book can help knock you out of the rut you're in, and put you on a whole new path.

Wonderful Book!

At first I hestiated to follow the directions in the book but it was really wonderful when I let myself go and started to wreck this journal. It has been so much fun and a truly liberating experience to play with this book. I also recommend Living Out Loud by Keri Smith also.