Many moons ago, (seriously MANY moons), when I was 26, so nearly 10 years ago in fact, I made a book about BEING 26 and I thought I'd share a few sample pages from this very exclusive publication! It was really a book that wanted to be a blog in a way. A journal/log/fake magazine of all the things I got up to when I was 26.... so here goes.
The contents page... can't quite believe how many holidays I went on!
One of my favourite pages. I do love info-graphics! A Venn diagram of all my friends.
It's nice to look back at; and sad in some ways as it reminds me of the people who've fallen along the wayside... but there are lots of new people I could add to this now. Plus the little unattached circle would now be attached as bizarrely a guy I met when I was 14 ended up at the RCA with one of my friends from college. So it all hooks together nicely!
I'm a really hoarder; so this just showed lots of the ephemera I had hanging around at the time. I can never through away gig/exhibition/show tickets...
I have a vague memory of flicking through old FACE magazines (showing my age again) for spread inspiration and copying the lines with dots and boxes from something... (the book was only for me afterall)!
Wow - some of the stuff here is still on my to-do list.
The concertina book is a timeline of my Granny's life with world events set against her own photos... it's still not finished.
The Architecture book is similarly incomplete.
I have good intentions though.
A couple of pages about my favourite haunts and hang-outs in London town... a few places have disappeared (RIP The Spitz, SHOP, Souvenir) Many I wouldn't know if they still exist or not, my map is different now I guess, but there are lots that remain on the Top 10 (ST John!)
It got to a point with this book that I had to just finish it; which I did eventually, when I was nearly 28. As a compromise I just added this page with a few of the other ideas that I'd wanted to include... Looking at it now I don't know what took quite so long (hmm, oh yes, Quark. Urgh).
The picture is of me in my flat of 5 years on Kingsland Road. Such a great flat. Sunlight poured in all day. Wouldn't be such a lovely place to live now as it has the new East London line running right next to it... although of course now I live with the District line at the end of my garden.
So Yes, 2001/2002 - Holidayed, listened to 2 Many DJs and DJ Shadow, went to see Legally Blond at the cinema (made Hugh go too) and got my first pair of skinny jeans from a dodgy guy selling knock-off Diesel on Hoxton Market, and I didn't even own a digital camera.
It's over 60 pages long so I might share more later. Right now I'm just enjoying reminiscing... what were you doing 10 years ago?
To all you 26 year olds out there, (you know who you are!) make a book, you'll love it when you're 35.
Only 2 months left of being 26 - better hurry!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'd buy a book like this.
I want to make one, but alas my 26 year old life has long gone.
This is actually AMAZING! I wish I knew how to make such a brilliant book like that.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's really amazing, and what a wonderful record to have of a time in your life.
ReplyDelete