CRUSADE No. 49 ~ Forensic Self Portrait

 

We had some new crusaders join us this month!  Thanks to everyone who came to play along by showing us your special events - whether a fancy getaway or a simple stolen moment.  Love learning more about you, and love that you are putting this stuff in your journal! 

The focus of the next challenge in the Evidence Series is YOU.  Forensic science is part of our legal system pertaining to physical specimens.  I am using the term forensic loosely as I want you to record your characteristics, plus document your interests as they are right now.  You don't have to show us every detail - you can be stealth about it.  The point is to do it for yourself.  Think about what your favorite food or restaurant currently is or what music you are listening to.  What perfume are you wearing?  What shoes do you wear everyday?  What car are you driving, what is your address, what time do you wake up, what is important to you in this moment?  That kind of stuff. 

 

Start collecting your thoughts.  Make lists.  Gather your supplies.  Find and save evidence.  Take mental notes about everything that defines you Right Now.  Things change.  Two years from now you may listen to a different radio station.  Next season you may change handbags and switch out your heavy winter clothes for springy ones and you may never wear that gray sweater again.  It may seem silly but I promise you will love to look back on it.

 

Dare yourself to include a photo or two.  A few years from now you will have more lines on your face.  Maybe you'll change your hairstyle by then too.  Document yourself.  Just YOU.  Next month we will record evidence about family and friends.  Leave them out of this for now.  YOU YOU YOU.  ME ME ME.

 

 

 

 

To give you a jump start I made this - print and use it.  Find or make envelopes to enclose your lists and your evidence.

 

For a high resolution (300 dpi) version, click here and save.View this photo

In previous crusades (four years ago!) we visited evidence collecting.  Visit the links if you want some ideas.  Crusade No. 5 - Kiss and Tell, Crusade No. 9 ~ What's that Smell?

 

EDIT:  I meant to share this resource with you.  A fun and fab book that came out over ten years ago.  If you are digging the idea of collecting specimens from your life you will enjoy this.  Details at Amazon, see HERE.

 

That's it.  Make a page that documents YOU.  Show us that you did it.  You don't have to reveal all your lists and statistics.  Hide them away somewhere on the page.  Under a folded edge or attached flap, or in an envelope you have or you make.  Capture the essence of you, in this moment.

Don't forget to leave your comments for fellow crusaders!  It takes guts to share our work and getting a comment is validation that it was worth it, and is motivation to keep at it.  Last month we had 29 players so I would hope that each link would have at least 29 comments.  The reality was pitiful.  Let's change that this month.  I know it's hard to add your words of enthusiasm if there are already many kind words submitted before you get there - so let's aim that each crusader get at least thirteen.  Lucky 13.  If you are not participating, but click on a link for inspiration, your kindness and manners are still appreciated.  I wonder how to express a *wave* in words....like when you see your neighbor driving past....you give a quick and friendly wave.   Can't we do that online?  You pop in, look at the post, drop a quick line: *high-five*, *well done crusader*, *you inspire me*, *you motivate me*, or if you can stay a little longer, write a little more.  It's not just about sharing our work, it's about building and fortifying our community.  Some of you are faithful and loyal commentors...thanks for being a great example of how to be a fair player.  Thank you.  *steps off soapbox*

  

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Helen]

Thanks so much for the download! It inspires me to think about myself and to start making lists. I hope there will be a lot of crusaders for this one!

[Sarah]

I'll give this one a go

I actually did a stencilled self portrait in my journal earlier this week (and I wonder who it was who first got me into cutting stencils all those years ago? oh yes, you :) )

But I like the idea of the lists and scraps of evidence in pockets and things....will play :)

(as for commenting on everyone's pages - I'm getting there...it's tricky as I mainly use the internet at work - oops don't tell my boss - as at home I spend more time doing other things like getting painty :) .... and obviously looking at art blogs is kind of obvious as there are big colourful pages that anyone from right the other side of the office can see is definitely not work related.... but I have been stealthily working through the list from the bottom up over the past few days and am up to Nathalie so far....I will get to the top eventually, promise :) )

[michelle ward]

@Helen - happy to hear you are motivated to start this one.

@Sarah - how cool that you just made a stencil of yourself! I will pop over and check it out. Thank you for your honest remarks about commenting others.

I know it is alot of work to hop around, visit links, and comment....especially if you get tied up with the security levels or slow connections (and that you might be visitng here from work and my site is loud!)

Everyone: Why not subscribe to the comment feed so you can keep up? OR here's a good one - make a point at the end of the crusade to visit every link because the validating words you leave will motivate the artist to continue playing along.

[jean]

oo i can't wait to get started! thanks, michelle!! your pages are wonderful and i love the idea of recording kisses and fragrance...you rock!

[QuinnCreative]

Love this idea! So rich to have fun with! I love visiting everyone else's links throughout the challenge because everything is so very different and so exciting! Thanks for the great print-outs, too. Can't wait to get started.

[Chris]

well, these crusade assignments tend to get me a little giddy, and I always just sit in awe of all the work, the sheer volume of *evidence* you share and the clarity and direction in the assignment. It just makes a person want to jump to it!

[Chris]

I also love it that we can work on previous crusades. I was sorry to have missed 48. oh, and 47. and 46...

[Chris]

Oh, I just now read these comments. YES! Even if you're late to the party, in terms of when each crusade is deadlined, it always is helpful to take time to go back in the linked participants and look at what they've done. What I love about doing that, toward the end of the month as the deadline approaches, is that when you see so many in one flow, and all the different ways people work with the crusade, it gives a much broader perspective and a lot of insight into the variety of possibilities for the project. When you only visit the other participants after your part is done, or when you first start work on yours, you only see a little bit of the big picture. In past, I've enjoyed visiting several times through the month for this reason.

[Chris]

OMG, that Jernigan book looks fabulous! Thanks so much for the head's up! I'm going to have to get it!

okay, i'm not commenting again...

[Marie Z Johansen]

Love this theme! I finished the first of what I think may become a series. Thanks for this one Michelle!

http://mzjohansen.blogspot.com/2011/03/evidence-that-i-am.html

[Doni Palmgren]

Thank you so much! At long last I have a "label", Evidence Journaling. I have felt very inadequate as an art journaler, and now I realize it's because I'm an evidence journaler. I love the bits and pieces of my life, and have been regularly putting them in my journals. I call them my Life Journals. Having fun with this latest series of challenges.

Doni

[jean]

thank you for the prompt, michelle, i really enjoyed making my pages...you can see them here

http://bluebirdslivinginthemeadow.blogspot.com/2011/03/evidence.html

*j*

[Chris]

Mine's all set, Michelle.
Hope you are having a great weekend!

http://parabolicmuse.blogspot.com/2011/03/crusade-time.html

Chris

[iHanna]

Mine became a mini book!

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=1290

[Wendy]

Thanks for the cool printouts :)

[Rachel]

Hi Michelle...it is months since I did one of your challenges, mainly due to a couple of no-so-nice events happening in my life :( As a result have found a serious lack of inspiration and motivation to do much creatively. However, I have been peeking at your site and looking at the amazing works that others have been doing. I do hope to join you again soon. Meanwhile, I hope the year is going well for you.

[missyk]

Hi Michelle

Thanks for the inspiration..... it was good to 'meet you'

Here I am!

http://littlecraftingmiss.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-all-about-me.html

Karenx

[daisy]

A really interesting challenge Michelle & I loved using the icon sheet you provided.

Here is the link to my project http://distinctly-daisy.blogspot.com/2011/03/forensic-self-portrait.html

If you click anywhere on the slideshow, it will give you the option to watch on a full screen, which helps to see all the little details.

Looking forward to visiting the other team members.

daisy xx

[Jessica]

I'm finally all caught up! Crusades 47-49 are done! Yay!

http://blog.phantomblonde.com/all-caught-up-gpp-challenges-47-49

[Elena Nosyreva]

Here is my evidence:
http://elenas-digi-stuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/she-seemed-lady-of-laisure.html

Thanks Michelle,

Elena

[michelle ward]

Thanks everyone! I couldn't get to your post Elena. I dropped you a line about it...let me know and I'll fix the link.

[Lay Hoon]

Cool !! How cool is that ! A Forensic Report of 'our self' .
Thank you Michelle for the beautiful Print-and-Use, I like them very much.
Again I was totally immersed in collecting the piece and pieces of evidence.

http://mescrap.blogspot.com/2011/03/gpp-street-team-49-forensic-report.html

[jean]

i re worked my pages...am off to visit everyone now..

http://bluebirdslivinginthemeadow.blogspot.com/2011/03/reworkedor-do-over.html

jean

[Rosemary Griffin]

I had a lot of fun, thanks Michelle. I have posted my page.

[Jane]

Another GREAT challenge and thank you for the printouts! My post is up:

http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com/

[Elena Nosyreva]

Suprisingly enough I made one more page this month,

Here is the link:
http://elenas-digi-stuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/crusade-49.html

Thank you Michelle!

[Michelle]

I managed to sneak in, just before the end of the month!

http://aztecmichelle.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/gpp-no-49-forensic-self-portrait/

What a great Crusade - I love the books and portfolios and layouts the other Crusaders have made; fantastic work everyone!

[daisy]

This was a great crusade Michelle. So many ideas still flying around, but I settled on one more ... for now.

http://distinctly-daisy.blogspot.com/2011/03/who-what-why-where-when.html

[Helena]

Finally, the due date has arrived and I can stop adding things to my report :)
http://ehelena.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/forensic-report/

[Suzanne McCarthy]

Whew! I made it just under the wire. Here's my page for Crusade No. 49: http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g344/tcnative/GPP%20Street%20Team%20Crusade%20pages%20%202011/GPPCrusadeNo49-ME.jpg

[Regina]

I thought I wouldn't get to post this month. My computer died. It's been acting poorly lately & I'm sorry to say that I haven't kept up with the fellow Crusaders... :(
But hubby fixed me up with a temp solution while we wait for my new hard drive to arrive, so here is a post with pics uploaded & edited on my phone. Love technology when it works.
http://rgrdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/03/gpp-crusade-no-49-journaling-forensic.html

[Lenochek Neger]

http://art-book-lenochek.blogspot.com/2011/04/blog-post.html

[Maria]

http://mariasangel.blogspot.com/2011/04/crusade-49.html

slightly late...i know....

[viki]

I'm back! I finally was able to play along this month. It was alot of fun. I realy look foreward to seeing everyone elses projects.

[Sarah]

sorry I'm late!

finally got my page done (March was a busy old month):

http://are-you-flowin.blogspot.com/2011/04/slightly-late-crusade-my-forensic-self.html

[TJ]

Michelle, I loved this challenge. I'm so sorry how late I am but I got the German Weasels. This was my favorite so far.. but now I'm wondering if I should put #50 in the book I started here or what!

http://studiomailbox.typepad.com/tales_from_studio_mailbox/2011/04/forensic-self-portrait.html