Of Nettles and Deliverance
IV
Scribbles, Calligraphy and
 Journaling
©2005  Meg Fox
The Shoal
Dr. Kleinman had been encouraging me to write in a journal. I was reluctant to try writing
down anything of length onto paper, but playing with words in the previous collages gave
me an idea. I decided to try to scribble those feelings across my own artwork as an
element of design. Scribbling my feelings onto my digital collages felt different—liberating.
Most of the words were illegible. It was enough that I knew what the scribbles
represented, and to see my thoughts represented in a visual form of my own creation.
Many of the things I scribbled were not even complete sentences. I let my hand “dance”
with the forces of what I was feeling. One long stroke might be all that represented the
phrase I was thinking. Another member of
The Creative Matrix, a calligrapher, told me
there was a name for what I was doing. It was called
Jazz Writing.

The Shoal
(above) and The Earth Bears Witness (below) are examples of work
incorporating Jazz Writing.
© 2005 Meg Fox
The Earth Bears Witness
The Earth Bears Witness was based upon the story of Buddha reaching enlightenment in
spite of all attempts to stop him. During one of my therapy sessions, I shared this piece
explaining what it meant to me and a visualization technique I'd used to move forward;
As I walked along the sidewalk, I envisioned and felt an extraordinary connection to the
earth beneath my feet. I felt its substance supporting me and its gravitational force
enveloping me, keeping me close. Unable to tell anyone about the abuse as a child, and
not sure I would be believed when I first told my story as an adult, this collage helped me
gather the courage to speak of what happened by knowing I was telling the truth and
imagining that the earth “bore witness.”
Over the last few months, I have been combining such digital collage with pages from
Brothers Grimm and Anderson fairy tale books in the form of traditional collage pasted
onto journal pages. The pages are unfinished. This journal, a work in progress, has
become a wonderful therapeutic tool. One of the ways I deal with old feelings resurfacing
is to return to these journal pages adding new words or various collage elements.
©2006 Meg Fox
UNFINISHED JOURNAL PAGE
Digital collage Circle of Ancient Destiny,
incorporating poetry of
Henry David Thoreau, found paper, fibers
and torn pages from Brothers Grimm and
Anderson fairy tales.
©2006 Meg Fox
UNFINISHED JOURNAL PAGE
Digital collage Destiny's Thread, incorporating
scan of
Village of Secrets and additional typed words,
found paper, gossamer paper, painted fabric, ribbon,
fibers and paper (plain areas-no text) torn from
Brothers Grimm and Anderson fairy tale books.
©2006 Meg Fox
UNFINISHED JOURNAL PAGE
Digital collage Daddy's Eyes,
created fabric, acrylic stamped fabric, found paper,
fibers, beads and torn pages from Brothers Grimm
and Anderson fairy tales.
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© 2006 Meg Fox
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