Motivation and Inspiration

Why am I doing this?

The cynical answer is that I am producing this book to fulfill a requirement for my graduate-level Book Arts class (privately called Defense Against the Book Arts), taught by Tom Trusky at Boise State University. There are seven students in the class, and each of us has the semester to create a classroom edition (one copy per student, plus two for the instructor) of an original bookwork.

But just as I am not making this book for money, I'm not really making it for grades, either. Bookmaking has brought out two elements of my personality: my artistic side, and my desire to "make statements" and change the way people see the world. I've discovered that by approaching the idea of BOOK from a non-textual angle I can create something with greater impact and enjoy a more satisfying process.

I believe that adult make-believe and roleplay can be a normal and healthy part of our lives, and that it is not only an enjoyable expression of creativity but a powerful outlet for stress and personal exploration. I hope to capture this belief in my bookwork and open the reader's eyes to a new perspective on our societal and personal roles.

This idea came to me as I was driving down the street en route to the first meeting of my Book Arts class. I had been speaking with a friend about her dual roles in the workplace and the goth subculture (and feeling a bit jealous), and I began to wonder how many people who seem very "normal" when we see them during the day are living entirely different lives after five o'clock. As I made my way toward campus, the book practically made itself inside my head, and after what had to be an exhausting and amusing (if not frightening) supercaffinated jam session with my friend, I knew I had to pursue it.