Upcycling... the craft that gives back

​ A couple weeks ago, I mentioned picking up my first print copy of the gorgeous Art Journaling magazine. Since then, I’ve enjoyed reading the articles and drooling over the art. It’s a new goal of mine to get something published there… but more on that later. 

Today I want to zoom in on one article that really jumped out at me. I had an aha! moment when I read it, and I think it’s worth spending some time with.

A side note before we get into it... I contacted the editors at Art Journaling to ask about sharing some images here, but I haven't heard back. They are in the midst of changing editors right now, so I understand my email getting lost in the shuffle. I feel like this issue is important enough to write about even without their images though. Be sure to pick up your own copy of Art Journaling to see the beautiful images I talk about here!

trash to treasure

​Ingrid Dijkers’ idea for moving trash to treasure was published in the July/August/September 2018 issue of Art Journaling magazine. In “CD Holders with a Story to Tell,” Dijkers walks us through the process of creating one-of-a-kind art journals out of CD cases she found in thrift shops. Dijkers goes a step beyond telling readers what to do by actually showing a number of pages from her upcycled CD case journals. The pages are decorated with animal image transfers and earth toned washes of color. In addition to the narrative-based article on her practice, Dijkers’ provides some bulleted tips for art journalers interested in learning from her experience. ​​

A travel CD case like the kind Dijkers uses for her upcycled journals.

​making it work

The cover of Understanding Rhetoric.

When looked at through the lens of environmental friendliness, Dijkers’ article yields much more than an art journaling how to. I am using the concept of critical lenses discussed in Losh and Alexander’s text, Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing. Losh and Alexander talk about how looking at the world through different perspectives will allow us to see different things (95).

​In my case, the environmental approach jumped out as I read about Dijkers’ use of discarded (nearly obsolete!) CD holders to house her beautiful art journaling. This upcycling suggests Dijkers cares about turning trash to treasure and being responsible about her use of environmental resources. Her first lines “Oh, those thrift shops! They offer more ideas than I really have time for!” (75) show this is not just a one-time practice of finding inspiration in objects others might consider throwaways. Like the artist’s version of a dumpster diver, Dijkers doesn’t need a pristine, new journal in order to create art. She is clearly inspired to make the old look new and keep CD holders out of the landfill at the same time. Through an environmentally focused lens, Dijkers’ article serves as a challenge for artists to create with what they have. ​

​The environmental thread is reinforced in the art journal pages shared in Dijkers’ article as well. Most obviously, Dijkers used image transfer to put black and white pictures of animals onto her pages before doodling on and/or journaling around them. Also, a quick flip through the pages of the article reveals a subtle color scheme that moves from a clay orange through burnt yellow, sage green, and finally sky blue. These are all earthy, natural colors that complement the animals depicted in these recycled journals.

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Dijkers' colors can be seen in the pallette above on the far left: H, I, K, and M.

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The inclusion of animals and an earth tone color scheme are examples of intentional composition. Losh and Alexander tell us that intentional composition can be seen when visual elements work together to tell a story (16). In this article, the visuals tell the story of a calm, natural environment. This visual component allows us to see Dijkers’ message about experimentation and reimagining or recycling unused objects as tools for art in another way. I didn’t even notice this color scheme until I really started evaluating the visual argument, but if we think of this article attached to neon, 80’s style art… we would certainly notice that poor fit. Paired well, as they are here, the visual elements of any argument should only enhance the written message.

​Dijkers’ message is not limited to the text of this article, though that already is persuasive. By sharing her actual journal pages (complete with doodles, transfers, and personal writings), Dijkers shows she is practicing what she preaches. Losh and Alexander introduce us to the idea of performance, or the expression of the “fundamental features of your authority and identity” (139). By reading her bio at the close her article, we get a glimpse into how Dijkers performs this eco-consciousness in her everyday life. “Ingrid Dijkers recently moved to rural Michigan into a fairy-tale home in the forest,” her bio attests (78).

This is not Dijkers' home (as far as I know...), but it is a rural Michigan home that fits her description.

​Her description of the “fairy-tale home in the forest” (78)  is not an accident and shows her love of the outdoors. We’re also told “she is putting the final touches on her newly converted barn studio” (78), again taking the old and repurposing it to make it new. Dijkers is not just engaging in this eco-friendly activity to get published in Art Journaling magazine. On the contrary, this environmental focus is part of her ethos and can be seen in many aspects of her life.

Carrying it forward

The strongest aspect of Dijkers’ argument in this article is its subtlety. As we all know from living in the world in 2018, the environment is a big topic of discussion. For better or worse, it’s often a polarizing conversation with “tree hugging hippies” on one side and “climate change deniers” on the other.

Viewing any issue as black and white means we miss a lot of the reality.

Instead of jumping into the fray and choosing a side, Dijkers shares one small act she took that allowed her to use non-recyclable materials that might ordinarily end up in a landfill to create beautiful art. By showing art journalers (the target audience of the Art Journaling magazine) the inside of these one-of-a-kind journals, she inspires us to look around among the unused or discarded objects rather than running to the craft store to buy new materials. Losh and Alexander would call this an implicit message (80) because she doesn’t state it outright, but lets us come to the conclusion ourselves while we read about her experience.

​Implicit messages show up for the careful readers and thinkers. Had I been flipping quickly through Art Journaling magazine looking for visual inspiration, I would have missed the environmental message completely. Likewise, if I were on the hunt for journaling prompts, I might have caught the bulleted tips and totally missed out on the visual story. My guess is that many readers of Art Journaling fall into these categories, at least sometimes. I know I haven’t spent this amount of time critically reading the other articles in this issue. It’s not a shortcoming, just a reality of how readers engage with magazines. 

It might seem like I’m getting ready to say Dijkers could improve her argument by making it bolder and more obvious to people soft-eyeing the magazine. But… #spoileralert… I’m definitely not. I think the subtlety of Dijkers’ argument sets it apart from other environmentally focused rhetoric and allows it to reach readers who might be turned off by a strong approach. 

Her argument is simple, unstated, and really... a good reminder of the benefit of moving beyond pro/con stances. The effectiveness of her persuasion is in the ease of it. She’s not asking anyone to change (or even consider!) their stance on the environment. Instead, Dijker is encouraging us to take a small step. And we all know one step leads to two…

These days when politics are so ever-present and so life-changing, it can sometimes feel like we’re always on a soapbox for one thing or another. I know I often feel powerless in the face of laws made way above my head. I feel exhausted by bad news on every social media platform. I feel weighed down by injustices, both those that directly affect me and those that I see affecting other vulnerable populations. 

Dijkers’ argument in “CD Holders with a Story to Tell” reminds me that not every impactful act requires a hard line in the sand, millions of dollars, or a position in political office. Small actions add up. Even one drop creates a ripple. 

(Click for original, unedited image.)

​What’s a big thing you’re worried about right now? What is one thing you could do to affect it, even in a very small way? 

Tell us in the comments and start the ripple!