MJS: This is 2020 Journal

Is it just me or has 2020 already been about a decade long? We're in the middle of this challenging year and I'm sure we wouldn't mind for it to hurry up and be over, but it occurs to me that there's a lot of history being made this year, and it's important to record it!

I'm working on my own personal 2020 journal, but I thought perhaps it would be interesting to share our experiences and thoughts with one another.

So for this journal, we're going to record world events, local events, personal events - everything that's going on in the world around us. Please be sure the journal includes writing and other elements - art, collage, newspaper headlines - whatever you wish to include to illustrate what's happening in your life and in the world. Be creative!

This is going to be a long project, but don't wait until the last moment to begin it - otherwise you'll forget the milestones along the way. Try to work on it as we make our way through these next 6 months.

Now, the basics: What's a magpie journal? Well, a magpie is a bird related to the crow that is know as being a collector. Similarly, people are called "magpies" who collect things, particularly things that seem to have little value. So, for this journal, you're going to collect various items and paste them in a small journal.

For the sake of postage, you need to fill AT LEAST 30 pages (one side of a page = 1 page) of collected items - you don't need to fill an entire journal (but please feel free to do so if you wish). Decorate the cover any way you like.

What to include inside the journal? Here are some ideas:

Recipes/Menus/Postcards/Playing cards/Stickers/Tags and labels/ Interesting stamps /Coupons /Found items (as long as they're clean)/Notes /Grocery Lists /Poems /Song Lyrics/ Interesting bits of paper /Interesting ads /Flyers /Clippings from newspapers and magazines /Inserts /Labels from favorite products /Candy wrappers (make sure they aren't sticky) / Washi samples

Try to include things that have visual interest or meaning. Doodles and other decorations are likewise encouraged but not required. If you'd like an extra challenge, see how much of the journal you can fill within the deadline!

Basically anything goes - just make sure you have at least 30 pages full and nothing dirty, smelly or sticky!

Here's hoping the rest of 2020 makes up for the first half!