TRAVEL BOOKLET
For this practice-based research it has become apparent that the next step after writing the methodology is creating some kind of source that it can be shared on. The most obvious thing to me is a mini travel booklet. If field recordists were able to have a pre-printed version of the methodology that was small enough to fit in their pockets then it would make the methodology be more encouraging to carry around with them when they do their practice. It would also be nice to have something that is properly structured like a book that can be easy to read and reference from when in practice.
My idea is to make an a4 / a5 sized pocked booklet that clearly states the methodology. At the beginning of this booklet, it will have a small intro into what this methodology is, why it is needed, and how it can be used. At the back of the booklet, I want to leave space for personal noticing’s, so the book holder can write reflections about their experiences/ walks/ more-than-human counterparts that they have encountered, as well as personal ideas of what they would change about the methodology. I will also include some small exercises to do for preparation for the methodology itself.
I want to make this booklet as ecofriendly and sustainable as possible. This is something that I have never done before and not even attempted, so this is a whole new experience. As this methodology is about collaborating with the more-than-human and the ethics of the practice of environmental field recordings itself, I need to take into recognition that the booklet must withhold the same values eg. Using sustainable ink/ paper/ binding equipment. Some initial ideas I have had is to make my own paper out of recycled materials, this could be from own recycling waste of going to a charity shop and recycling old paper they have. This will be something that I will discuss more on as the process develops. Another idea I had is to use found materials for the binding part of the leaflets. This could be old hair ties or pieces of string or cord that I forage from the floor. I want as little harm and disturbances as possible to the more-than-human in order to produce this piece. It will be interesting seeing what ways I explore to create this.
I don’t want to create another extractivist tool – like microphones etc – the materials sourced will not live in on in a Cot to cradle life experience rather they will be cradle to cradle
From a marking sense- the booklet will enable the marker to read through a finished piece of work on a designed booklet. To accompany this booklet, I will also have the audio of me experiencing the methodology in real time so as you read through the booklet you can hear breath by breath me reading through it too.
As this is only a prototype, it may not look exactly how I want it to. In an ideal situation I would be able to consult with someone in the environmental sector about what paper, ink and processing is most sustainable and ethical for production – if it would come to me sharing these booklets out. Would the booklets be free? I think initially they would be free and I don’t see myself ever wanting to charge for them as I don’t believe this knowledge should have a price, I would want it to be accessible for all – this also adds to the fact that If I make them from found materials then I am happy enough to give away my time and not charge. How would I share them out? At the beginning I would like to carry them around with me and pass them out hand to hand- maybe there would also be a pdf that if people couldn’t access them then they could online. I was also thinking about the accessibility aspect of the booklet – I was thinking about how I should make an audible version of it that people can follow along with, to make this methodology inclusive for all.
I have currently been looking into sustainable paper. What I have discovered so far is a variety of different papers. I have chosen to focus on seed paper and specifically uk wildflower paper. I want to use this paper as it has a 2 year life span before the paper starts detreating, and I like this idea that the methodology booklet has its own lifespan and by the time it starts to degrade, if you refer to it a lot in your own practice, over that time you would hopefully have developed and personalised it to your own practice. I was most attracted to the idea of using seed paper and especially uk grown wildflower seed, as this gives the booklet a new life in to form of the wildflowers. I have chosen wildflowers because they increase biodiversity, they act as a home and resources for a variety of insects, they are good for pollinators, they also create habitat not just for insects but for hares ground nesting birds etc. This also mean that if any booklets get lost out in the field when doing practice-based research, they will not be littering but giving way for new life. If the booklets were not lost but started to degrade, at the back of the booklet I will be putting exactly how to dispose of them. This can be the user’s way of gifting back to the more-than-human collaborators. I also like the idea that if the booklets were to get lost in the field, they would end up leaving a sort of clue or footprint as it were to show that a collaboration happened in this space. I like that instead of the usual extracting we would be giving and gifting.
The more that I have looked into this seed paper, the more I am realising that it may not be attainable to use them now as for most company’s you can only bulk buy the paper for a large amount of money, and the brand that I found who align with my ethics and morals only bulk sell large quantities for £80 a go. Being a student I don’t have enough money to spend that on paper so far whilst I am still experimenting at least. This is something I am going to have to figure out later down the line.
For now, whilst I am still experimenting I am going to explore other options of making this booklet but I know that the seed paper is where I eventually want to end up using.
This is the company I want to use:
Influences:
I became influenced by the book Walking as Research Practice created by WARP and Soapbox Journal. I liked the aesthetics of the book as it is all thin pieces of paper with ruff edges to make the page easier to grip when turning the page. The book also has all the information set of the right hand side of the page to make it easier for the reader to read whilst walking. They wanted to incorporate walking into the design of the book. they say they wanted the book to be easy to fold, hold and made with supple paper, making it easier to hold with one hand. The decision to have the text on the right hand side of the page was to allow the eye to focus better allowing for optimal concentration encouraging a rhythm for the text without interference. The left hand side of the page is left for footnotes illustrations and notes to be taken. I took direct influence form this which is reflect in my own booklet, as having a book which optimises concentration and accessiblity is key for and easy way to practice this methodology.
Examples of booklets :
I found this reference for folding paper into a booklet online – I like that it is only using one material and no adhesive needed, I also like how small the booklet is, it is perfect pocket size which means that carrying it around won’t be a bother and won’t weigh you down. For this test I used some paper form an a4 sketch book that I had bought in a charity shop the week before. Here is the step by step process :
- First find an a4 piece of paper and put it vertical
2. Then fold the paper in half
3. Fold the paper in half downwards
4. Pick up the paper on the bottom and fold that upwards
5. Flip it over and repeat the same action
Now you have a 6 page booklet
Whilst I am still writing the methodology here are the sections I will be using – these may change as I keep writing :
Location, Walking, Acquainting yourself with the more-than-human, Finding your rooting ground, Rooting yourself, Opening yourself for listening, creating an open communication pathway, collaborating , Thanking and leaving, Responsibility of post-production and sharing collaborations
As the pages were quite thick I wanted to cut them in half to also allow for more pages. I decided to bind the book with a sewing kit I found in my house.
I then wanted to plan out each section to the page to enable me to see if I would need more pages:
As this booklet is very small – I will be doing this experiment on a2 paper to see if that allows more space for the writing. So far this mini booklet has 14 pages. Realistically I will need double that to allow each section to have 2 pages each. This along with making the actual size of the booklet bigger should allow for enough space for the writing.