Word Tracks Journal

My art for appreciating life

Friday, February 26, 2021

Words giving impression of bike tracks on journal cover.

Wording pattern and other colour elements at Track 02

“I make my own tracks.”

I find that there’s only one way I can ride a bike up a steep hill: I face downward; direct my focus on to the terrain that I’m peddling over; and tell myself, “It’s flat and easy. It’s flat and easy. It’s flat and easy…” After a minute or so, due to my mind’s new inclination in believing I’m moving over flatland, a hill’s incline becomes a breeze to cycle. No it’s not logical, but I am saying that repeating a pattern of inspiring words has eased my struggle many times and has kept me on a track that’s always moved me forward.

Speaking of being on track with ‘repeating a pattern of inspiring words’, this page is a result of some enjoyment I had regarding that. In essence, I decided to take the statement, “I make my own tracks,” and see what kind of new visual art could unfold. I tried various fonts with it, but nothing made a real impression on me. Then I felt drawn to copy the statement and flip it. The mirror image looked like a tire. By continuing, it didn’t take long to see what kind of track I was on…I was making my own!

BIKING TRACKS
Track 01 - Biking Is Fun
Track 02 - My Bike Trip
Track 03 - My Road Trip
Track 04 - Road Trips Are Awesome
Track 05 - The Inside Track

INSPIRATIONAL TRACKS
Track 06 - I Make My Own Tracks
Track 07 - Keeping Track
Track 08 - My Track Is Unique To Me *
Track 09 - Track Out Your Own Path

TRACKS DESIGN HISTORY
Track 10 - How I came up with the design back in 2012

Track 01

Words in a pattern appearing like bike tracks on journal cover.

Pattern is created from only using the words:
BIKING IS FUN

Track 02

dirt

grasslands

ashphalt

sand

Pattern is created from only using the words:
MY BIKE TRIP

As for the background colours, I thought it would be fun to have them
represent the various environmental elements, such as what you find on
backroads or off-road trails.

Looks like I’ve created a pattern here…

Boy, once I got on track with this concept, the words, along this line, just flowed out like I was gliding my bike down hill now. The following are more expression that I came up with, but haven’t turned into journals yet. I thought you’d enjoy seeing them, so that you could feel inspired to imagine what your tracks would look like.

Track 03

Pattern is created from only using the words:
MY ROAD TRIP

Track 04

Words in a pattern appearing like car tire tracks on journal cover.

Pattern is created from only using the words:
ROAD TRIPS ARE AWESOME

Track 05

Pattern is created from only using the words:
THE INSIDE TRACK

Track 06

Inspiring words in a pattern to appear like car tracks.

Pattern is created from only using the words:
I MAKE MY OWN TRACKS

Track 07

Pattern is created from only using the words:
KEEPING TRACK

TracK 08

Pattern is created from only using the words:
MY TRACK IS UNIQUE TO ME

Track 09

Pattern is created from only using the words:
TRACK OUT YOUR OWN PATH

Track 10

DESIGN’S HISTORY:
September 2012 was when all the fun began for me:

Words about illusion give impression of an illusion.

The very first play with words in this manner was using the word ‘illusion’. It seemed obvious. If you want to create an illusion, use the word illusion. However, I decided to further play around by keeping the word as a title, yet change the body of the message to explain what the title meant — or vice versa. This example case in point.

AN ERRONEOUS MENTAL REPRESENTATION
Illusion

However, in the end, I decided to not do that because it could be difficult for the viewer to ‘get’ the message. So, from then on, the title is exactly as the words in the body presented. It will act as a clue.

And speaking of clues, I’ll let you in on one, since you were interested enough to read to this point. The pattern is comprised of a series where the 1st sentence gets copied and this 2nd sentence then gets flipped upside down and abutted to the 1st sentence. Then that group gets repeated over and over. I won’t tell you which font I used — let’s leave that as a mystery. Why? Because it’s way more fun for you to discover your own creative side… How? Like the image below says:

Words to inpsire one to look beyond the obvious.

Pattern is created from only using the words:
LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

As for the title of this webpage/journal entry and series, it was an old photo I took while passing a tire shop one day. Seeing the various patterns were so fascinating to me — the myriad of, you guessed it, ‘tracks’ that could make ‘tracks’. And the rest is history.