Blogging with my buddy, Anais Nin

I love the diaries of Anais Nin, the original blogger when spilling one's ideas was a much more private affair. She wrote with such honesty and fierceness, at a time when the things she was saying could get her put into jail. And she did intend much of these words to be published, sort of like us bloggers today. I don't think we ever again will understand how oppressive that time was (the 30's and 40's). Most of her work could not even be put into print until the 70's, when she herself was approaching her 70's. She paved the way for feminism and freedom of expression and candidness for women in their both their sexuality and creativity.

I have all the volumes of her dairies, and recently, Volume 4 fell apart at the seams, pages came tumbling out all over my desk. So I, of course, took my scissors and got to it. I found it really great to cut out passages I wanted to respond to, and write out my answers in my own journal, Anais and I, chatting away!

and I also sent some of the pages through my printer, and printed some of my watercolor sketches on them. That also, was really pleasing to do, and makes a great start for a collage on a page in my journal, or as a card to put in the mail.

Anais Nin, one of my heroes, now is in my own journal for ever, connecting me to her wisdom.
I, we all, owe her a big debt for her pioneering work.

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.” —Anais Nin