Wreck This Journal: Ignite The Spark

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always imagined a little spark inside of me.  It flickers, smolders, and flares to life depending on the mood of my creativity.  Sometimes it needs a little kindling, but never once has it gone out. As I continue to embark on the journey of an aspiring writer, it’s become even more important to me to keep that spark ignited and let my imagination burn wild with possibilities.

This week’s Wreck This Journal page was one of the first I completed because it reminded me of my spark.  The directions instructed me to “Burn this page.” Once I got past my aversion to setting any part of a book on fire, I grabbed a box of matches out of the pantry and got to work.  The idea was to simply add a few little burn marks, to give the page a weathered look, like it had been on the outer reaches of a forest fire, (as usual my imagination had created an entire back story).   What I failed to remember is that paper is highly flammable and the moment I put the match to the edge, the whole page erupted with a brilliant flame!  It was terrifying . . . and absolutely beautiful.  The flame’s vibrant color and warmth made it feel like my spark was right in front of me rather than just inside of me.  Although totally necessary,  it was sad to put out the fire and turn it into a cloud of smoke, (I promise I’m not a pyro).

To keep the flame alive, I drew and colored some flames around the burned edges.  Then, I glued down the matchstick that started the fire.  I wish I could take credit for the matchbook, but that is Keri Smith’s handiwork. I can, however, take credit for giving it color and adding glitter to the flame on the cover.

My spark shows up just about everywhere in the journal, but the scarred edges of this page serve as an autobiography for a fire that just won’t go out.

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Previous Wreck This Journal Posts:

Letting Go

Keep Reaching

c.b. 2011