Big Picture: Artist inspires new generation of journaling

Monica Clark/Staff Writer

For those who enjoy the creative side of life, the artistic life or the beauty filled life, the joy of finding “being” is trickling into daily lives. Sabrina Ward Harrison, an extremely talented artist, has created a True Living Project, an accumulation of ordinary life.

Harrison said, “On a daily basis we teeter on the edge of humanity losing history through the fading culture landscape of our country and our interconnectedness as human beings through unconscious development and historical neglect. As we have barreled deeper and deeper into a technological/ result driven 21st century, now more than ever I do believe we need to be brought home to the presence of our living. To allow the result validation of our own tender true humanity. may this work be a living ode to our living.”

Harrison’s True Living Project is made up of 68 site specific lifetime collaborative projects. She combines ordinary pieces of lives and makes them into works of beautiful art. She has written four books consisting of her journals, and she has taught people around the world through workshops how to dig deep to find the creative soul.

The combination of photos, paintings, found items, words, videos and music creates her True Living Project. Many other people are using these techniques to express themselves including CFHS students through their journaling.

Although the journaling world has been seriously downtrodden by the cliché “Dear Diary,” journaling is taking on a new, extremely artistic and open format.

“The other day I wrote a mini story about me 10 years from now when I’m an aspiring journalist or photographer. Those stories help to keep myself looking toward the future and knowing what I’m capable of. I also add pictures and drawings,” sophomore Chelsea Larsen said.

Journaling anymore is not just the ramblings of everyday experiences. Words go deeper than that.

“(I write) everything from a new recipe I like, to profiles of new people I met and things that interested me about them, to my deepest, darkest thoughts about friends, guys, religion (and) the future,” Larsen said. “My mind is full of thoughts, and if I don’t get them down or talk about it with someone, they kind of make me go crazy.”

Creating these journals is not just for the artistic aspect. They are sometimes used to vent out stress and anger.

“The most rewarding thing, I would have to say, is that I’m getting it all out of me, it’s like screaming into a pillow when you’re frustrated. I can get all of my emotions out, and it triggers all of the things in my mind that I wouldn’t usually think about or say,” sophomore Echo Reams said.