“Personal Geographies” Blog Hop Book Giveaway
“You don’t have to be a world traveler or a professional cartographer to embark on a grand journey of self-discovery through map making. Personal Geographies gives you the tools and techniques you’ll need to create artful maps of your self, your experiences and your personal journey. Chart the innermost workings of your mind, document your artistic path and create an unfolding maze of your future dreams and goals.”
So say Jill Berry, the engaging author of Personal Geographies, Explorations in Mixed-Media Map Making. In this full color, 144 page book published by North Light Books, Jill takes you on a journey of making artful and expressive maps of your self, of your experiences, and of your plans, projections, and possibilities. It’s an intriguing approach to exploration of not only the world around you but the world within you.
Some of the 21 projects included in the book.
There are 21 map-related projects throughout the book that feature a variety of mixed media techniques. There are flip book maps and post card journals, maps that explore different memoirs of life events, such as vacations or holiday memories, and maps that chart your perfect place. A nice touch are the maps and their stories from 17 contributors.
I was particularly drawn to the hand map. The project focuses on a “collage of your hand using imagery that symbolizes people or places that have contributed to what you do with your hands.” I immediately thought about the people in my life who have encouraged me to use my hands in artistic ways like my dear aunt who did exquisite and complex crochet patterns using the finest thread and multiple needles and my father who was a musician and enjoyed sketching. What would I collage together to create such a map? What might you?
What would you include on your hand map?
If you’d like a chance to win a copy of Jill’s book, leave a comment telling me what you would include on your hand map. On Saturday, December 10, 2011, I will pick a winner from the comments and the book publisher will send a copy of Jill’s book directly to you!
If you want to increase your chances of winning a copy of the book, check out these blogs, also offering a copy of the book:
Friday, Nov 25 Aimee Myers Dolich
Mon Nov 28 Carla Sonheim
Tues Nov 29 Diana Trout
Thurs Dec 1 Gwen Diehn
Friday Dec 2 Jane LaFazio
Monday Dec 5 Judy Wise
Tues Dec 6 Lisa Engelbrecht
Weds Dec 7 Lyric Kinard
Thurs Dec 8 Orly Avineri
Friday Dec 9 Tracie Lyn Huskamp
If you don’t want to wait until the 10th, you can go to this post on Jill’s site, scroll towards the bottom, and learn how you can get 35% off of the retail price from now until December 9th. You can also buy a signed copy directly from Jill at the same site.
December 2nd, 2011 at 7:29 pm
mmm – my hand map needs to be about my the good foods these two hands have provided to me and others for so many years; recipes, classes taught,tips, favorite kitchen tools…the list is starting to flow! How fun!
December 2nd, 2011 at 8:33 pm
I’d include a map of my book shelves.
December 2nd, 2011 at 11:22 pm
I love hands and use them in my journals and in art work with kids. For a hand map, I would map the threads of my life and how my hands have woven them into the person that I am, the palm representing my true Self. Thanks for the review and giveaway.
December 3rd, 2011 at 10:47 am
I do love the idea of a hand map and will do one! I would make one with places I have never been to but long to visit.Thank you for the opprortunity to win this book!
December 3rd, 2011 at 11:27 am
I would love to win this book but if I don’t, I’ll get it myself!! I am going on vacation in maine next September and I’d love to map that trip–it’s going to be very special–I’ll be reuniting with friends I used to vacation with every year until about 10 years ago. YEAH me!!!
December 3rd, 2011 at 11:56 am
(Your hand map is fabulous. What a great idea).
My hand map might include a fortune telling of what my future holds, my wishes, hopes and dreams.
December 3rd, 2011 at 12:53 pm
i did a hand map for a challenge once. I would love to try a new version using her wonderful book. My map would tell all the things my hands do and the things that slipped through the cracks.
December 5th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
I’d include the houses I’ve lived in.
December 5th, 2011 at 5:56 pm
i would do a hand map of my mother’s life to give her as a present for mother’s’ day. she had a hard life and still managed to have happy memories.
December 5th, 2011 at 10:14 pm
Especially during this month’s busy days, it would be fun to map my way through the holidays and enjoy them all over again.
December 6th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I would put a brain on/in it somewhere to show the deep connections that the brain and the hands have-how we put memory into our hands by the doing of things that we love so much.
December 7th, 2011 at 9:08 am
For the past 6 years I have been hiking the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail. I would put the Trail Map on my hand to enjoy the memories of what I have seen and to remind me that hiking the Trail requires taking a step at a time, much like piecing a quilt, and I have many more steps to take.
December 7th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
This books sounds wonderful. It would be so inspiring to win it. I’d like to try to map one of my incredibly strange dreams!
December 7th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
My hand map would show all the ways I’ve used my hands to create something.
December 7th, 2011 at 10:01 pm
I would make my hand map all about gardening, digging in the earth with my hands. Planting with my hands. Pruning and deadheading to keep the flowers blossoming.
December 8th, 2011 at 10:09 am
I would have to include a spot in the middle of my palm for the special people in my life and how they’ve helped me through the crazy times.
December 8th, 2011 at 10:36 am
hand map; mothering, teaching, wringing (as in wringing my hands with worry!), making
December 8th, 2011 at 11:24 am
One part of my hand map would include binary code (ones and zeroes) to represent my former life as a computer programmer.
December 8th, 2011 at 11:53 am
I’d start with burlap, for the texture and to pull threads and create lines and roads and rivers. I’d weave into the threads all kinds of things — threads, notes, beads, anything and everything, tie things on, that show what has influenced me, who is important to me, places that have shaped me, and maybe how my hands have shaped others.
December 8th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
It might be helpful for me to make a hand map of who I DON’T have to be with a big red circle around it and a red slash across it. You know–all those expectations from yourself and others that you think you need to live up to, but get tired just thinking about!
December 8th, 2011 at 11:15 pm
I have been drooling over this book and definitely want to add it to the hundreds of others causing my bookshelves to creak. I do admit to being somewhat of a book-a-holic, but they bring so much joy and inspiration into my life, how can I say no?
On my hand map I would have to include a yet-to-be-determined symbol for gratitude. Thinking of what to put on my hand map made me realise all the amazing tasks my hands do every day, including typing this note. Thanks for that!
December 9th, 2011 at 8:09 am
[…] 28 Carla Sonheim Tues Nov 29 Diana Trout Weds Nov 30 Gloria Hansen Thurs Dec 1 Gwen Diehn Friday Dec 2 Jane LaFazio Monday Dec […]
December 9th, 2011 at 11:13 am
i would include all my friends and family and the many roads travelled and hats worn over hte years.
December 10th, 2011 at 12:42 am
In my hand map, I would want to include all of the little scars and maybe a sidebar with the story about how/why I have the scar.
December 10th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
I’m loving this little blogroll adventure, so I think I would need to map it!