The F Word

Take 13 minutes and 44 seconds out of your day to watch this video. You will be moved. You will be inspired. You might even be changed.

If Kathy and/or her son Dan has touched your life, consider being part of "The Journey is the Inspiration" - a collaborative, online journal project beginning this month on the blog at daneldon.org. We are now accepting submission at any time.

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THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at daneldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.

In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.

THE FINE PRINT

You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Also please include a link to your own online site if you have one. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.

The Journey is the Inspiration: Call for Contributors

THE STORY

Some stories need to be told and retold. Such is the case with Dan Eldon. Born in London in 1970, he moved to Kenya with his family at age seven, where he remained through high school. He embraced his new life fully and quickly became an explorer of the world. Dan began taking photographs of his adventures while accompanying his mother on her travels as a journalist. These pictures became the basis of his visual journals, in which he documented his life, beginning at age 15. Extremely charitable and concerned about the world around him, Dan traveled extensively and returned to Africa repeatedly. In 1993, having become the youngest photojournalist employed by Reuters, he and three other journalists were stoned to death as they covered the famine and escalating violence in Somalia. He was 22 years old.

His life has had a profound impact on a countless number of people and though nearly 21 years have passed since his death, his legacy of inspiration continues to gain momentum. His mother Kathy and sister Amy have since co-founded Creative Visions Foundation. CVF fosters positive change through its support of creative activists - people who use the arts to raise awareness of social, environmental, and humanitarian issues. His family has also shared his journals and their message through the publication of a series of book, beginning in 1997 with The Journey is the Destination.

Dan was a pioneer and a visionary in so many ways: as an activist, an adventurer and an artist. His journals were created long before the current trend in visual journaling began. And yet his approach - raw, real and very personal - presaged the style of many journalers today.

THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

People who know of Dan Eldon always describe being deeply impacted by his life. That is the basis for this call for creative contributions. We want to hear how you have been inspired by Dan's story and your story will be shared on the blog at DanEldon.org. In this way, a new visual journal can be created and Dan's legacy can be brought to more and more people.

In words and/or images, please tell us what Dan and his experiences have meant to you. Share your own personal memory of reading the books that document his life, of seeing his journals in print for the first time, and/or realizing how much this remarkable man accomplished in his short life. Perhaps you are a journaler and have created pages, directly or indirectly influenced by his approach. Or perhaps you will now as part of this call. Either way, we want to see what Dan's legacy has created in you and what you have created as a result. And much like with visual journaling itself, there are no rules here about what to include or not to include. We want real, raw and very personal.

THE FINE PRINT

You do not have to be a journaler, an artist or a writer to participate. You just have to be willing to share. Please send your submissions and any inquiries to Seth Apter at shap97@gmail.com. For entries, please include your text as an email attachment and your images in the form of jpegs as attachments as well. Submissions are being accepted at anytime. More detailed information about the postings will be sent to those who submit and will be posted online for those of you interested in viewing the entries.

Caught in the Act

When I was recently out in California, I had the pleasure to meet Kathy Eldon at Creative Visions Foundation (CVF) in Malibu, California.

Kathy is a remarkable women and an inspiration to me...and so many other people. She has recently published her auto-biography In the Heart of Life: A Memoir and I can guarantee that you will be captivated by her story and moved and inspired by her life.

Creative Visions Foundation was founded by Kathy and her daughter Amy in 1998.

The organization was inspired by the life of Dan Eldon, who at age 22 was killed in Somolia while reporting on the conflict there as a photojournalist for Reuters. He was an artist, an activist and an adventurer and is well known for his art journals -- created long before the current art journaling movement. You can read more of Dan's story here and see a post on my blog from 2008 that highlights my visit to a traveling exhibition of his journals.

I included a tribute to Dan in my newest book The Mixed-Media Artist and was thrilled to be able to give a copy to Kathy in person. I was bowled over by her energy, enthusiasm, and sincerity. And you will be too...

Caught in the Act: Kathy Eldon and Seth Apter

I will be collaborating with Kathy and CVF on a new project and look forward to sharing the details with you soon. Stay tuned for more information on how you can be a part of this too!