How to: organizing a ‘Round Robin’

What is ‘Round Robin’?

Round Robin is a term used by quilters and basically stands for something handmade which is being passed on and added to.  For example; one person starts a quilt, passes it on to the next who adds to it, in her own style, then passes it on to yet another who adds to it and so on and so on. Together making a patchwork of creativity and styles.

Round Robin notebooks are based on the same idea. All members  of a group (of about 8 people) start their own personal creative notebook which will be passed on to another member after a period of time (e.g. two weeks). A few pages in the notebook will be filled  with all kinds of creative  goodness before the book is passed on again. When the notebook has made a full cycle all  group members will again see their own notebooks  now fat and filled with the most wonderful quotes, drawings, pictures, paintings, embroideries, recipes or….? The possibilities are countless!

Tips for the group leader

Collect the addresses of each group member and sort them; place members that live close to each other after one another on the list. Let your group members know how many pages they are asked to fill; e.g. the total number of  pages of a notebook divided by the number of group members. Then, determine and  list the dates on which to send the notebooks, ideally every two or three weeks. You can also add a list of shipping fees.

Remind your group members (strictly!) to stick to the shipping dates as much as possible so that every member has an equal amount of time to set her creativity loose. In case of holidays one can always work ahead of time. Deliberate with each other and make sure your group members let you know what’s  up. That will allow you to keep track and stay in charge! But even then, circumstances may occur that will call for adjusting the shipping dates.

In short: e-mail your group members the following:

• Who to send to
• When to send
• The amount of pages to fill (point out the insert in the back to hide little surprises!)

Everyone is free to express their own creativity. Don’t expect grand works of art,  but allow value to each. It is the diversity that makes it so much fun!

What if someone isn't complying to the rules even though you did everything  to make it work (Sadly, it happens).  Let your group members know about it, remove that person from the list and continue. Please inform  me so I can blacklist this person.

Tips for all group members

How do I start?

Get yourself a notebook. I recommend 13x21 cm Moleskine notebooks  (available at www.bykris.nl ) ; they are a good size and sewed rather than glued. Don’t use glued notebooks because when the books get thicker they will fall apart.

On the first pages you will start telling or showing a few things about yourself, your work, family or hobbies. How you do this is entirely up to you! You can make a collage, use poems or quotes, draw or paint, whatever strikes your fancy. You can also try using a theme, for instance music, quotes, happiness or your favourite colour. After two or three weeks you´ll send your notebook to the next person on the list while you will get another group member´s book. Now it´s your turn to be creative for someone else! Use different kinds of paper, fabric, paint, pencil, markers or whatever you can think of! After two or three  weeks it is time to send forward the notebook and receive another. When the circle is complete (after 3 or 4 months) your notebook will return to you filled with all kinds of loveliness, especially made for you!

Some useful tips

• Photo glue is pleasant to use
• For the outside it is best to use Mod Podge or decopatch glue.  It will protect the cover. As will a sewn, knit of crochet fabric cover. Make it your own personal notebook!
• If you want to use watercolour or paint, use a separate  piece of paper . When its dry you can stick it into the notebook.
• Are you stuck and clueless about what to make? Try googling ‘art journal’ or search for art journal pins on Pinterest. There’s plenty to find there, just try it! You’re  allowed to make mistakes.
• Don’t forget to make photo’s or scans of the pages you made in case a notebook gets lost in the mail. Always put a return address on the envelope! When a notebook is starting to get too thick to fit through the letterbox, try sending it opened. When that fails you will have to send it as a parcel.
• Open a private group on Facebook to show each other tiny sneak previews  and to keep in touch.  Be careful not to give away too much or it will spoil the surprise!
• You can always e-mail me (Kris) for tips: info@bykris.nl. Direct all other questions at your group leader.
• Have fun! You’ll notice that sometimes it can be quite hard to fill a couple of pages every two or three weeks, but that is the strong force behind it! You will have to be creative because others depend on you! It will stimulate your creative mind.

Kris Bossenbroek – Fousert

Creative entrepeneur

www.bykris.nl

Find me on Facebook and Instagram: bykris.nl.