Collective Creations:
A Circulating Art Journal
Collective Creations is an ongoing collaborative art project built around a simple idea: make something, leave it behind, and send it onward.
Each participant begins with a blank journal that is released into a growing circle of artists, writers, musicians, photographers, and other creative humans. As the journal travels from person to person, each person leaves something of their own within its pages—a collage, photograph, drawing, poem, lyrics, short story, or whatever else wants to emerge.
There is no final destination or set timeline. The journals wander through the circle, gathering traces of the people, places, ideas, and moments they encounter along the way.
Eventually, a journal finds its way home—not quite the same object that left, but something collectively created by the many hands that held it.
The Process
1.
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Select a blank journal of your choosing. It can be simple, elaborate, handmade—whatever feels like you.
2.
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Before sending your journal out into the world, you’ll be the first person to leave something behind. And since it’s about to make its way into the hands of a whole bunch of strangers, it only seems fitting that introductions are in order.
So, who are you?
Take the question wherever it leads you. Maybe you introduce who you are today, who you used to be, or who you’re becoming. Maybe you leave behind something you love, something you fear, something you dream about, something you can’t stop thinking about, or something you don’t quite have words for yet.
You don’t have to explain yourself or arrive at an answer. What you create doesn’t even have to make sense to anyone else—not even to you.
Just leave a trace.
3.
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There’s no need to wait for a specific mailing date to send your journal out into the world. Once you’ve added your creation, pass it along whenever you’re ready.
The only ask is that whatever journal you’re holding is on its way by the 1st of the following month. Think of the 1st as our collective send-by date, not a day you have to wait for.
This keeps the journals moving while still giving everyone plenty of space to create at their own pace.
4.
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As the journals make their way around the circle, someone else’s will eventually arrive in your mailbox. Add your creative contribution to the next available page, then send it along whenever you’re ready—or by the next 1st at the latest.
5
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The circle may grow and change along the way as new people join. Each journal will continue traveling from person to person, gathering creations as it goes. There’s no set timeline for the journey—the journals will wander for as long as they need to.
6
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Once your journal has made its way through the circle, it will eventually find its way back home to you—filled with creations from the many hands that held it and carrying little pieces of the time it spent out in the world.
While it’s in your hands…
Take up space.
Each contribution can take up 1–2 pages max—a single page or, for those who need a little more room to roam, a full two-page spread.
Create whatever you want.
My original idea was collage, but let’s not limit ourselves. Photography, drawings, lyrics, poetry, short stories, mixed media—or something that doesn’t fit neatly into any category at all—are all welcome. Whatever you feel inspired to leave behind.
Follow the prompt—or don’t.
After the first “Who are you?” contribution, prompts are completely optional. If one sparks something, follow it wherever it takes you. If it doesn’t, do your own thing.
If you create something inspired by a prompt, add the prompt symbol in the top-right corner as a little clue to whoever encounters it. Or don’t—leave it a mystery!
Remember, you’re creating for strangers, too.
You may not know everyone who eventually encounters your work, so use your best judgment about what you leave behind. Knowing me, I’ll probably have a naked body or two in some of my stuff 😂—so this definitely isn’t about censoring yourself. Just be thoughtful about anything particularly graphic, explicit, or potentially distressing to someone who isn’t expecting it.
As the circle inevitably changes…
This is meant to be a living, evolving circle, so new people are welcome to join along the way! When someone new joins, I’ll update the rotation and let everyone know through the Instagram group chat.
Before sending a journal on its way, check the Instagram group chat and the current rotation to make sure it’s headed to the right person.
If you want to leave the circle at any point, no worries! Just let the group know. I’ll update the rotation so the person before you begins sending to the person who was after you, keeping the circle intact. Please reach out to whoever currently has your personal journal and arrange for them to send it back home to you.