Q. How can I get a journal? / How do I sign up for a journal?
A. Unfortunately, you’ve probably got a better chance of winning the lottery, than getting a hold of a journal. There are still over 900 of them out there, floating around, but I guess many are sitting on bookshelves, or forgotten in a garage, just waiting to be rediscovered.
Q. Why is the image quality on some images so bad?
A. Many of the images on this site were sent in by contributors to the project, and therefore, are of varying quality. Keep in mind that when this project started, there was no iPhone, or Facebook, or flickr. Some folks sent in images taken with first generation camera phones, while many simply didn’t have access to a scanner or decent camera. Kind of amazing how far things have come since 2000.
Q. Can I start a similar project?
A. Of course, the more the merrier. In fact, because demand was so high, I launched 1001 Journals, a web site that allows you to launch your own journals project (or sign up for someone else’s journal).
Q. What will you do with them when they all return?
A. Well, I don’t expect them all to return. The ones I do have are used in exhibitions, where people can not only view the journals, but continue to add to them as well.
Q. Is this project still going / is there an end date to this project?
A. The project is indeed still going (and may never end). Though, the updates on the web site have slowed down quite a bit. Most of the action is happening over on the 1001 Journals web site. I imagine journals will slowly trickle in for many years to come. I mean, how cool will it be if a journal returns 10 years from now? 20?
Q. What type of journals did you use?
A. They’re the Cachet Classic hardbound sketchbooks, 220 pages, roughly 6″ x 9″. You can buy them at most stationery stores, art stores, or plenty of places online.
Q. How did you make the covers / affix them to the journals?
A. I’m actually surprised so many people ask about this. The covers were printed with an Epson inkjet printer on the thicker matte paper. I spray mounted them to the journals (I know, it’s toxic, you should use something else), and then coated it with… Water based polyurethane (that people put on wood). This was to preserve the cover, but didn’t work as well as hoped. Also, when using the polyurethane, you have to go quick and not over saturate the paper, or the ink will bleed. Remember, this was over a decade ago, so there’s probably much better ways to achieve similar results now.
Q. Where will the project be exhibited next?
A. The journals are currently on exhibition at Scottsdale Public Art, through June 2012, and we’re chatting with a few other folks about hosting the exhibition. If you know folks at museums or other venues (Center for the Book, Public Library, Airports, etc.) don’t hesitate to let us know, we’re happy to chat and see if 1000J is a good fit.