Book 1, "12/11/07"

I think this picture would have been better suited for the my last post.

I was obviously sad when I wrote this. Telephonehead is drawn with a tear on his face, there is an angel crying, there's a grave with what looks like flowers using telekinetic powers on nothing. Past Justin posed the question "What is love?" I'm sure I was listening to the song by Haddaway either during, or just before drawing this. There's a coffin with a heart on it, no smiling faces, except for the fish above the faucet, under the pale somewhere in the left of the picture. There is a flaming apple falling from the tree with the word "Death" draped on it. There's the ripped page that reads "Call?" making me feel like there was some internal conflict going on in which I was debating whether to call or not to call. That must have been the question. I like how both the tree and the sun are labeled. What, did I not think people would know what those were? The running stick figure with the clock on his head is totally acceptable in my book. If a rotary dial telephone is going to represent me getting in contact with my inner self then a clockhead (make sure to read that with the "L") can surely represent time, and in this case it's a runnin'. I'm not at all sure what is saying "So long." It looks like it's an apple, or a pumpkin. Any guesses?

Ah, I realize I didn't catch the date when I photographed the picture. In the left margin the date reads, 12/11/07. 

That gives this journal a pretty good date range. It looks like I definitely began journaling with normalcy in the Sophomore year of my high school career. I'm looking forward to when Past Justin starts dating all of his entries. I remember why I started it too. My grandfather saw that I was drawing a lot, and he told me to start dating my work in case I become a famous artist some day. He said that they would enjoy being able to see the dates on my works and see how I progressed as an individual. I didn't think much of the suggestion right away, not thinking anyone would ever care about anything I wrote or drew. But eventually I warmed up to the idea. He only ever mentioned it once, but it stuck with me, and eventually it got me to date nearly everything I put down with a pen. So thank you Dale Rex Hicks, for planting the seed in my mind that one day people might care about what I've done. I still hope one day people do.

Also, I'm not sure if it would catch your eye if you were to casually glance at the drawing, but take another look. In the bottom left hand corner there is an outline of a few buildings. Even though also in that corner is Telephonehead's super emo "Good-Bye Everything" thought bubble, I think the city is relevant to notice. It's a method to drawing cities which I still use today, although I think I've gotten a tad better at it. I like that it's so far off in the distance. The tiny city helps me connect to past feelings, however adolescent they were.