Eight years ago, the self-dubbed designer ‘Someguy’ created a series of covers for small journals. He would glue the lovingly-created cover onto the notebook, then mail it off to a complete stranger instructing them to fill a few pages, then pass it along to someone new.

Someguy invited additional artists to create covers beautiful enough so someone would want to pick it up, unpreciousness enough that someone wouldn’t mind giving it away once they had left their mark. Artists from around the world responded, and eventually all 1000 books were dressed and ready to go.

Journal #354 was used in a treasure hunt, #949 was stolen at gunpoint. Of the original 1000, only 1 has made it back.

The journal project & its participants - now the subject of a documentary and hardcover book - is perhaps the only constantly-moving catalouge of the human experience. The books were so hard to catch, yet the voyeuristic gravity was so undeniable, that a second phase of the project was launched online.

1001 Journals allows users to create & share their own journals, sign up to receive one, track their movement, and produce groups that contribute to local books.

I think I’ll leave it to Someguy to summarize why I like this project so much:

If you ask a kindergarten class how many of them are artists, they’ll all raise their hands. Ask the same question of 6th graders, and maybe one third will respond. Ask high school grads, and few will admit to it. (explained in Orbiting the Giant Hairball)

What happens to us growing up? We begin to fear criticism, and tend to keep our creativity to ourselves. Many people keep journals, of writing or sketching, but not many share them with people.

You will not be judged here. And you will have company. This is for you. For everyone.