#IFJM2026
A Fake Journal for 2026 – Days 9 & 10
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A Fake Journal for 2026 – Days 7 & 8
#IFJM2026
A Fake Journal for 2026 – Days 5 & 6
#IFJM2026
A Fake Journal for 2026 – Days 3 & 4
#IFJM2026
A Fake Journal for 2026 – Days 1 & 2
Between 2012 and 2021 I kept a fake jounal in April for International Fake Journal Month. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. But I have resources for you that will explain the concept way better than I could even attempt. Please check out Roz Stendahl’s Official International Fake Journal Blog for the intricacies involved.
I have a separate blog, Skylark Karma, where I have documented all ten years of my previous fake journals. Each done by a different character using a different art medium. Please check them out if you’re intrigued by the idea.
This year I decided on the spur of the moment to participate. The evening of March 31st, I was reading two of Roz Stendahl’s most current blog posts, Finishing Projects and a Little Bit about International Fake Journal Month, and IFJM: Sometimes Projects Creep Up On You.
My 2026 IFJM project definitely crept up on me.
I pulled out a spare notebook and a lovely new pen, deciding to draw something I would always have with me — my left hand. All characters, their names and their actions– all are fake. But there are current events recounted by my character and these are true to the date written.
I wion’t stretch this out too long. Instead of posting one page a day for a month I will post two each day which will carry us just over two weeks, finishing on Monday, July 20th. No big explanations either, just enjoy my quick line drawings and reading my character’s daily reflections in her scrawly penmanship.
#IFJM2026
As I dip my toes back into the pool.
First off, please forgive me for neglecting my blog for so long. Like many people, once I let things slide, inertia kicks in and it’s hard for me to regain inspiration and momentum. I think about posting, even taking photos, but then something else takes priority and the spark I once had evaporates.
Enough! I say.
Earlier this month I attended a collage class given by my friends Gael Clauson and Patti Warren. Gael is a watercolor journal keeper, a hand letterer, book artist, and a gel plate aficionado. Patti is a renowned watercolor artist, book artist and journal keeper. Together they teach a series highly regarded classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Dartmouth. Both Gael and Patti showed many examples of their work to a roomful of eager artists. We were instructed to bring a poem or quote that, when divided, would fit five or six pages of the sewn pamphlet. Gael and Patti generously provided the pamphlets and all the collage fodder. We were told to silence our inner critics and pick out an appealing selection of collage pieces and just go for it!
Let me preface this by saying that collage is not my chosen art form nor am I comfortable working outside my usual medium. That said, I was immediately drawn to a specific gel printed piece but after selecting other patterned papers I ended up discarding my original sheet and going with five patterns and a solid black. I took a deep breath and as I started I could feel myself easing into it — I was getting in the flow.
Less than two hours later my book was done.
I am pieces of all the places I have been, and the people I have loved. I’ve been stitched together by song lyrics, book quotes, adventure, late night conversations, moonlight, and the smell of coffee.
— Brooke Hampton
My hope is to post weekly — no promises, but I have to start somewhere. Thanks for coming with me as I dip my toes back into the pool.
Winter Solstice – 2025
Earlier this December I attended a concert by a local choral group, Upper Valley Voices. The promotional blurb for this concert series was “Sometimes it gets dark. And in darker times it becomes vital that we allow ourselves to be drawn together to share our light with each other. We must radiate hope, joy, love, peace & purpose”.
Even though these videos are sung by different choirs I’d like to share two of the pieces I heard that evening that continue to move me as we in the Northern Hemisphere head into winter.
Happy Solstice!
Season of Light
music and text by Jacob Narverud (b. 1986)
Come, sit by the fire, and share stories of old
Bright visions of time and of wonders, we’re told.
Surrounded by comfort and stillness of night
We live in the memories of the season of light.
Come join in the cheer of the fresh falling snow,
where wonder and radiance set hearts all aglow.
For a moment on earth all that’s wrong turns to right
and we’re warm in the spirit of the season of light.
Glow
music by Eric Whitacre (b. 1970), text by Edward Esch (b. 1970)
Softly falls the winter snow,
whispers to the sleeping world below:
“Winter tide awakes,”
morning breaks and sets the Earth aglow.
In gentle tones of warmest white,
Proclaim the glory of Auroroa’s light.
Sparrow sings in a clear, clean voice,
a sweet, silver carol for the season born.
Radiant wings as the skies rejoice,
Arise and illuminate the morn.
Softly falls the morning snow.
whispers to the sleeping world below:
“Glow, like the softly falling snow”
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2025
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength to Love, 1963
The time is always right to do what is right.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Southern Methodist University – March 17, 1966
Snowy Night – Winter Solstice 2024
Mary Oliver – Snowy Night
Last night, an owl
in the blue dark
tossed
an indeterminate number
of carefully shaped sounds into
the world, in which,
a quarter of a mile away, I happened
to be standing.
I couldn’t tell
which one it was —
the barred or the great-horned
ship of the air —
it was that distant. But, anyway,
aren’t there moments
that are better than knowing something,
and sweeter? Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness. I suppose
if this were someone else’s story
they would have insisted on knowing
whatever is knowable — would have hurried
over the fields
to name it — the owl, I mean.
But it’s mine, this poem of the night,
and I just stood there, listening and holding out
my hands to the soft glitter
falling through the air. I love this world,
but not for its answers.
And I wish good luck to the owl,
whatever its name —
and I wish great welcome to the snow,
whatever its severe and comfortless
and beautiful meaning.
Happy Winter Solstice!
April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse – Worth Every Second!
After years of anticipation the day of the total solar eclipse had arrived. We live in an area that was predicted to get 99% coverage but within an hour’s drive of totality, so keeping in mind Annie Dillard’s quote, “Seeing a partial eclipse bears the same relation to seeing a total eclipse as kissing a man does to marrying him.” we set off for the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where the skies were predicted to be the clearest.
After scouting a few towns and hillsides we landed in Coventry, Vermont, specifically in the Coventry Village School parking lot. We had free range as all the area schools had given their pupils and staff the day off. We were later joined by many other groups looking for community without the crowds gathering in the larger cities.
I knew my iPhone wouldn’t be able to capture decent direct eclipse photos so at the last minute I decided to focus on the parking lot and see if I could film the decreasing light. It worked! Fortunately the couple parked next to us had brought their dog who stayed in my video frame and demonstrated the light change by losing his shadow about a minute and a half into this two minutes thirteen seconds video. There’s a little serendipity at the end as I move my phone getting my fingers into the frame but catching a half decent image of the eclipse with Venus shining beneath it.
I just noticed that the video quickly cuts out without allowing a good view of the final frame with the flared out eclipse and view of Venus so I’ve included a screenshot below.
Once home I journaled my experience and included an eclipse poem by Billy Collins.
Don had much better luck capturing the eclipse with our Cannon PowerShot.
And yes, everything you heard about the traffic is true. Just over an hour up and four and a half hours back. A very long day but worth every second!
Dana Burrell... Art 