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A LIFE IN HAND: Creating the Illuminated Journal
Borrowing the best examples from her own journals, and the works of others, Hinchman leads the reader from simple jottings and scratched likenesses to fully illuminated gems of philosophy, and shows how a lasting record of experience and a road map for self-discovery can be created.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 7, 2011
I remember the day I found this book. It was in a slipcased edition, with the book and a blank book, both paperback, at a Waldenbooks in Little Rock that no longer exists. It was a sunny afternoon and the light was coming in the front of the store. I bought it with a birthday gift certificate from my father.
I have great affection for this book. I haven't quite loved it to pieces, as I did with my first copy of Harriet the Spy, but it was a revelatory book the first time through and has been a familiar friend in occasional seasons since then.
Hannah Hinchman has been writing and drawing her life for many years. This book shows and tells. People who already try to pay attention through words and drawing will be, yes, drawn into this and will be even more attentive after reading. People who feel insecure about their skills will come away encouraged.
I don't think they package this with a blank book any more, and that's too bad.
I have great affection for this book. I haven't quite loved it to pieces, as I did with my first copy of Harriet the Spy, but it was a revelatory book the first time through and has been a familiar friend in occasional seasons since then.
Hannah Hinchman has been writing and drawing her life for many years. This book shows and tells. People who already try to pay attention through words and drawing will be, yes, drawn into this and will be even more attentive after reading. People who feel insecure about their skills will come away encouraged.
I don't think they package this with a blank book any more, and that's too bad.
December 28, 2015
Well, I'm not even going to pretend to be objective about this one. This book has been out of print for years, and I've searched high and low to find a copy. Finally got one from a neighboring library system, and it is dog eared, and musty, and marked up, and the mustiness made it hard for me to read, but I loved every single page. It is rare that I read a book, get to the last page, and want to turn around and start reading it again. I have resisted that impulse so as to be kind to my lungs, but this is a book I plan to own.
The author explores keeping a journal of one's entire life - the beautiful, the mundane, lists, sketches, everything but the kitchen sink. There are wonderful writing and sketching exercises, and some of her rather impressively intimidating artwork in the back of the book. I have loved her other work, but this one is my fave. A book I plan to dip into regularly.
The author explores keeping a journal of one's entire life - the beautiful, the mundane, lists, sketches, everything but the kitchen sink. There are wonderful writing and sketching exercises, and some of her rather impressively intimidating artwork in the back of the book. I have loved her other work, but this one is my fave. A book I plan to dip into regularly.
March 18, 2015
I picked this up at a used bookstore over the weekend and am well pleased that I did. It's a delightful read about both using words and sketches in one's journal, as tools to provide insight and aid observation. I jotted down a number of quotes from it and can see myself revisiting its exercises when I need journaling inspiration. If you read this book, make sure you do so in a format that allows you to see all the author's drawings integrated with the text throughout.
August 7, 2009
A Hinchman classic. I can't believe I'd never seen it, just her other books on the illuminated journal (which I've been keeping since high school). She is the wizard of artistic text and simplicity in framing.
December 2, 2022
This is a lovely book about journaling. I love that it was written in a time before cellphone cameras and Merlin apps. Birds were sketched in the field and birdsong was committed to memory to help make the identification. It certainly feels like a lost art.
Hannah’s words of wisdom accompanied with her own stories and her beautiful art are enough to inspire anyone to begin journaling. I look forward to trying some of her exercises and to reading her other two books.
“ By making a record of what you have seen with a note, a phrase, a sketch, or a lengthy, absorbed drawing, you make it your own. Next time you turn to look again, the world will be a degree richer and more distinct, and you will belong to it more completely.”
Hannah’s words of wisdom accompanied with her own stories and her beautiful art are enough to inspire anyone to begin journaling. I look forward to trying some of her exercises and to reading her other two books.
“ By making a record of what you have seen with a note, a phrase, a sketch, or a lengthy, absorbed drawing, you make it your own. Next time you turn to look again, the world will be a degree richer and more distinct, and you will belong to it more completely.”
September 13, 2021
This turns out to be not what I thought would be an art & journal how to, but more of the spirit of true journalling. So much more than I had anticipated.
May 6, 2018
Great introduction to keeping journals and a curious mind. For everyone not just those who want to improve their drawing.
April 5, 2015
This is one of the most old-fashioned things I've ever read, which makes it even odder that I read it on my phone.
Having followed the recommendation from Cathy Johnson (author of Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures), I had guessed that most of this book would be about art. I was wrong. There are a lot of Hannah Hinchman's sketches in it, and there's a rather awkward discourse on the best art materials (I say awkward because it doesn't fit with the rest of the writing style), and there are a few exercises. But do not be mistaken for even a second. This is a book about writing a journal.
"A Life in Hand" comes with life- and creativity-affirming quotes, with writing exercises, with thoughts about the importance and impact of recording one's life, with informations about different writing styles and how they can help your journal or work against it. It even comes with an advice on how to incorporate writing into your art. It felt to me like Hannah Hinchman went from enjoying the act of drawing, to drawing a lot, to writing comments for her pictures, to writing a lot with the occasional drawing. Which is perfectly alright, except it wasn't what I was looking for.
Sometimes I was a bit put off by the old-fashionedness of it. For someone being so creative and so very modern (in being a female artist and writer by trade), Hannah Hinchman is very much a child of her time, with most of the preconceived notions that come with it.
But back in those days, people were much more aware of nature and of the meaning of home, and when she writes about her intimate knowledge of her own surroundings and you can feel the quietness in her soul, I sometimes wished that that could have been me.
Having followed the recommendation from Cathy Johnson (author of Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures), I had guessed that most of this book would be about art. I was wrong. There are a lot of Hannah Hinchman's sketches in it, and there's a rather awkward discourse on the best art materials (I say awkward because it doesn't fit with the rest of the writing style), and there are a few exercises. But do not be mistaken for even a second. This is a book about writing a journal.
"A Life in Hand" comes with life- and creativity-affirming quotes, with writing exercises, with thoughts about the importance and impact of recording one's life, with informations about different writing styles and how they can help your journal or work against it. It even comes with an advice on how to incorporate writing into your art. It felt to me like Hannah Hinchman went from enjoying the act of drawing, to drawing a lot, to writing comments for her pictures, to writing a lot with the occasional drawing. Which is perfectly alright, except it wasn't what I was looking for.
Sometimes I was a bit put off by the old-fashionedness of it. For someone being so creative and so very modern (in being a female artist and writer by trade), Hannah Hinchman is very much a child of her time, with most of the preconceived notions that come with it.
But back in those days, people were much more aware of nature and of the meaning of home, and when she writes about her intimate knowledge of her own surroundings and you can feel the quietness in her soul, I sometimes wished that that could have been me.
October 14, 2014
Lots of wonderful ideas for integrating a visual journal, diary, and everyday "practical" notes.
June 3, 2017
A unique blend of reflection and instruction, this book on making an artistic journal is inspiring. Hannah Hinchman is a naturalist, which connected me to the book, as well as an artist not only of pictures but of words. She encourages inputting anything you want into your journal and watching for the connections that get made that will tell a story of your life. Most of the book instructs in different drawing techniques and tools, encouraging the reader to do practice exercises. The difference between this and a teaching book is that her life reflections are within the instructions.
Very enjoyable book and one to keep for future reference for those of us who love art.
Very enjoyable book and one to keep for future reference for those of us who love art.
July 18, 2018
This is among the books that have been influential in me becoming the woman I am, the writer I want to be, and the helpful professional I aspire to be. Creative, thoughtful, innovative and fun. I think it is out of print, unfortunately, but this is a go to book for me when I need to sort out the details of what I am writing. Hinchman really did a great job of showing me how to share a thought and communicate a message. If you can find one of these books and you are writing a memoir or family history, I highly recommend this book.
August 11, 2023
I read this gem about keeping an illustrated journal in one sitting! I picked up so many great quotes about writing and illustrating - the best one being related to us all having lives worth recording for the simple fact that we are each experiencing the world in our own unique way. I loved how she incorporated her illustrations throughout this book - they definitely inspired me to pick up my pencil and sketchbook again. I ended up picking this one up on Kindle, and I’m happy I did so I could keep digital notes and quickly scroll to the sections I wanted to reread.
June 23, 2023
Really lovely book that introduces some great prompts for starting/keeping an illustrated journal. This is one you should own so you can dip in and out, vs. getting nasty-grams from the library to return it!
December 30, 2019
A lovely book but I made he mistake of buying it on Kindle. I couldn't see the illustrations properly. I've made this mistake a few times with art books.
October 29, 2021
And now I go forth into another field season with a different journaling perspective. I'm so excited.
January 17, 2023
Very good book. My only problem is that it is too short, I wish it was at least three times longer. The writing is very good and the illustrations are beautiful. Must read for a journal keeper.
June 26, 2024
I love this book! It's a treasure trove of great advice and inspiration. I read it on kindle, and I liked it so much I bought a physical copy for my personal library. I know I'll revisit it often. Even as I was reading, I kept flipping back to previous passages I found instructive or inspiring. The sections on writing are really useful and easily actionable. I came away with a lot of approaches to try. The art instruction is basic. It's less of a drawing guide and more of an encouragement to add drawings to your writing because the two together can be so dynamic and rewarding.
A note on the kindle version vs. the print version: In the kindle version all the drawings and paintings are rendered well, and on a phone or tablet, you can tap to enlarge them (unlike some kindle books that are scanned as a PDF). The writing on the example journal pages is readable except at the end of the book where there were several watercolor journal pages included. I found some of the text on those last few pages too pixelated to read. The paperback version of those pages is even harder to read though. Anyone wanting to buy the kindle version need not worry their getting lesser quality images. For those wanting a paperback version (I found a few used books online), it is nice to be able to quickly flip through for inspiration or get to a particular section with ease. I can confidently say both versions of the book are equally worth it.
A note on the kindle version vs. the print version: In the kindle version all the drawings and paintings are rendered well, and on a phone or tablet, you can tap to enlarge them (unlike some kindle books that are scanned as a PDF). The writing on the example journal pages is readable except at the end of the book where there were several watercolor journal pages included. I found some of the text on those last few pages too pixelated to read. The paperback version of those pages is even harder to read though. Anyone wanting to buy the kindle version need not worry their getting lesser quality images. For those wanting a paperback version (I found a few used books online), it is nice to be able to quickly flip through for inspiration or get to a particular section with ease. I can confidently say both versions of the book are equally worth it.
November 2, 2008
I read this book because Danny Gregory recommended it in his book Creative License. Hannah Hinchman includes some nice pen and ink sketches, as well as some watercolors. There's lots of talk about writing well, about really observing nature and the people and places in your life. But overall I found the writing to be less compelling than Gregory's, and the tone to be much more personal. I wonder if people reading this book wouldn't feel intimidated by all the detail and the quality of the drawings. I was glad to read it, but don't need a personal copy.
April 15, 2008
This book helped me to chronicle my creative life through drawing, not just in photographs and words. This is a quote from the book: "When you open the journal, bring whatever self you are at that moment to the page as purely as possible. Listen, wait, keep reaching for clarity. Excise the meaningless and habitual. Keep watching."
June 5, 2015
This is a beautiful, timeless book on visual journaling. I'm sad that it's out of print and is hard to find used.
Update: I bought the Kindle edition so I could return my borrowed copy to my friend. And I found a $7 used copy.
Update: I bought the Kindle edition so I could return my borrowed copy to my friend. And I found a $7 used copy.
December 29, 2008
This book is very good for beginning journalers as a guide, and for experienced ones as a motivator and source of new ideas. Pretty pictures, too.
May 18, 2011
This book is a good inspiration for me. It gave many good tips about starting a nature journal.
July 20, 2012
Such a stress free invitation to journalling. Loved it!
May 15, 2013
I read this book twice, back to back. I loved it that much. I've read many books on illustrated journaling, and this one is by far my favorite.
September 24, 2008
A sweet little book that connects the act of journaling to art and illustration.
December 5, 2010
Hannah Hinchman is always inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews