Artist Profile: Joshua Mattson

Joshua Mattson // BookGrain Journals & Guestbooks

Name & Hometown:

Joshua Mattson, Lakewood

Neighborhood:

Bayside

Your Medium/Craft:

Handcrafted Wooden Journals and Guestbooks

Years doing your craft:

How did you first get started in your craft?

Early in 2013 I resigned as an electrical designer at an engineering company and decided to sit down in my room and spend a few months simplifying, thinking and reading. During this time I developed a curiosity. I wanted to know if I could discover a simpler way to bind books. I wanted a design that would accommodate a wood cover, have the ability to be refilled and could also lay flat, making it easy to write in.

After a lot of tinkering, one year of flying sawdust, cutting reams of paper, taking trips to the hardware store, and doing my best not to give up or be too frustrated, the first BookGrain journal was born!

Favorite Piece You've Created?

One of my favorite journals I have ever created is an 8x10 journal created out of reclaimed spalted maple. This journal shined and shimmered like about no other wood I have seen. To top it off, it had a live edge to it, which means you had some contact with the outside layer of the tree which helped bring this journal to life.

Reclaimed spalted maple journal // BookGrain Journals & Guestbooks

What’s the most challenging part of being an artist, or something you had to overcome?

In the slow and steady process of growing and creating this journal business one of the trickiest challenges I had to overcome was learning how to quit, but not give up. What I mean is this: when I embarked on my journey to design a book binding, I relied on experimentation and my own intuition, therefore I had a lot of ideas that never worked, I had a lot of days where I hit dead ends, and a lot of frustrations and disappointments.

What I learned is that I could quit my work for the day, when it was obviously not going anywhere, or if I was feeling burnt out, and start anew tomorrow, not giving up on my long term goal. Learning this skill helped me keep going, and push through difficult days and weeks, until one day I had my own bookbinding!

Favorite place in Everett to eat?

Anthony's Woodfire Grill

Favorite place in Everett to hang?

Grand Avenue Park

Favorite quote and/or words to live by?

There are many quotes I love and do my best to live by. Currently I have been thinking much about these words shared by St. Augustine in the 4th century "As love grows within you, so beauty grows, for love is the beauty of the soul." I like to think of my journals as homes for beautiful thoughts, and I believe when a person records these thoughts and ideas of beauty, they are indeed watering a garden of love, joy, thankfulness within themselves, creating an internal heaven.

Where can people see more of your art?

People can see my journals on my website and on Etsy. My wife and I occasionally participate in pop up market shows within the area. I also have a small showroom where interested buyers can view all my current work, this is by appointment only, anyone who is interested can direct message me for details.

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