Altered Book | The BookMooch Journals

Karma, Dharma & Enlightenment~ exploring universal patterns and mysteries of life

Posted on April 8, 2008 by bookmoochjournals

The Law of Karma – Karma is both action and the consequence of that action; it is cause and effect simultaneously, because every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in kind. Everyone had heard the expression, “What you sow is what you reap.” Obviously, if we want to create happiness in our lives, we must learn to sow the seeds of happiness. Therefore, karma implies the action of conscious choice-making. Whether you like it or not, everything that is happening at this moment is a result of the choices you’ve made in the past. Unfortunately, a lot of us make choices unconsciously, and therefore we don’t think they are choices–and yet, they are. If you step back for a moment and witness the choices you are making as you make those choices, then in just this act of witnessing, you take the whole process from the unconscious realm into the conscious realm. This procedure of conscious choice-making and witnessing is very empowering.You can use the Law of Karma to create money and affluence, and the flow of all good things to you, any time you want. But first, you must become consciously aware that your future is generated by the choices you are making in every moment of your life. If you do this on a regular basis, then you are making full use of this law. The more you bring your choices into the level of your conscious awareness, the more you will make those choices which are spontaneously correct–both for you and those around you.

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Filed under: Altered Book, Journal | Tagged: karma | Leave a comment »

Covers Recreated: Iconographic, iMmodest and Erotic [CRIME]

Posted on April 8, 2008 by bookmoochjournals

The book is actually the Granta 2007 Diary as shown below, which I mooched specifically to turn it into a BMJournal.

On the Left handed pages, full-color reproductions of famous, steamy and not so steamy crime novels and pulp fiction appear. The right-handed pages are blank. As only a hot-blooded male could dream up, I envision the right-handed pages containing art from BookMoochers, recreating the Covers on the left, making them iconographic, immodest and erotic! Here’s a chance to let yourself go, designing and creating the book covers as you would have done them, given the chance!

At the end of it’s journey, This Altered Book will be returned to it’s owner, [Kenenth G Samson] who may be reached through his account at BookMooch. [BookMooch ID: samsonkg]

Rules: none, really – as far as journals go. I want you to be as creative as you’d like, adding anything, altering the existing blank Right-handed pages in the book with your own creative ‘cover-art.’

–Kenneth

More images:

This journal is no longer traveling.

Filed under: Altered Book, Journal, Not Traveling | Tagged: crime novels, pulp fiction | Leave a comment »

Around the World in 1,000 Pictures

Posted on April 8, 2008 by bookmoochjournals

This is an Altered Book from The BookMooch Journal Project. The book is a 1956 printing originally titled AROUND THE U.S.A. IN 1,000 PICTURES, loaded with, yes, 1,000 vintage photos! It was a book that was just begging to be given a new life as an altered book, with dreams of traveling all over the WORLD, meeting BookMoochers and collecting snapshots, ATCs, AECOs, multimedia art, paintings and drawings, doodles and scribbles, postage stamps, rubber stamps, found objects and anything else that creative souls around the world feel inspired to add to it before sending it along to another BookMoocher to play with. At the end of it’s long journey, This Altered Book will be returned to it’s owner, [Kenenth G Samson] who may be reached through his account at BookMooch. [BookMooch ID: samsonkg]

Rules: none, really – as far as journals go. I want you to be as creative as you’d like, adding anything, altering the existing pages in the book, incorporating existing pictures originally published in the book or covering them entirely with your own art. I especially love ATCs and drawings and multimedia and found objects, but look forward to seeing all the cool, creative things you will do with this journal before passing it on.

There IS one unbreakable rule, though….. after you are done adding your art, please put the journal back into this same page I’ve created for it here at BookMooch so someone else can mooch it and add to it, and when it is full, please contact me to arrange return of this treasure to me.

–Ken

More images:

The last record of this journal is that it was marked received by Leah (USA:NC) in Oct 07.

Filed under: Altered Book, Journal, Not Traveling | Tagged: pictures, travel, vintage | Leave a comment »

The Power of Beauty

Posted on April 8, 2008 by bookmoochjournals

The title, The Power of Beauty, inspired the idea for an altered book based on the theme of Beauty and all that it means to different people. I began to alter the book several years ago but abandoned the project for various reasons. Now is the perfect time to release it into the hands of other Creative Souls around the world to see what Beauty means to them. The book is all text so there is plenty of opportunity for major alteration and/or lots of Found Poetry.

–Becky