Calling All Bookwyrms!

No, I didn't spell that wrong. Or, at least, I spelled it that way intentionally. I always hated the term bookworm–partly because it was always directed at me in a mean-spirited way, and partly because I went fishing with worms and didn't really hold them in high regard. Also, it didn't really seem like something I wanted to have anywhere near my book obsession. But, then, being a fantasy nerd, I read the word "wyrm" and got a new persective. I'd rather be a fearsome, armored keeper of books, so I basically only wrote bookwyrm from there.

As you can probably tell from this opening anecdote, I was . . . A weird child. Full of very particular opinions and somehow both whimsical and decidely not. Finding things and interests that hit both of these moving targets was not the easiest. However, something that kept my interest from the moment I learned of it was the language of flowers.

All over the world, different plants have represented various thoughts, emotions, and stories. Plants have been used for sustanance, healing, decoration, creation, protection, gifts, and communication. And, as a person who often struggled to say what I meant or make myself understood, that last one spoke to me on a number of levels. I didn't have a lot of access to flowers growing up, but I loved anything I could get my hands on. I saved flowers from just about every bouquet I ever got, and I still have pieces from everything that I received from high school onward. But I didn't have a particularly good way to utilize my interest and knowledge about what different flowers represented. So, while the interest didn't fade, the practical application withered away.

Fast forward to adulthood, and I stumbled across blackout poetry. I was obsessed, but I didn't want to just have "boring" black rectangles. I wanted some sort of image to speak to the observer before they even read the poem. At the same time, I wanted something that still went with or represented each piece in some way. That's when I turned back to the language of flowers. After figuring out a poem, I tried to decide what I wanted the takeaway to be, and then I researched an equivalent in the language of flowers. It was a great outlet for me in a lot of ways.

And it grew from there. I did some family portraits where each person was represented by their birth month's flower. I did other little messages or signatures in a similar vein. But I really wanted to make something that brought the old feelings of the passing of bouquets with entire messages concealed in a beautiful arrangement. And I wanted it to be something people could hold on to and enjoy. Somehow, I decided bookmarks would be the way to go.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you already have heard the truncated version of this. You've likely seen the three bookmarks I've designed so far, and maybe you've even bought one or two. I'm having a great time researching, arranging, drawing, coloring in, and uploading these offerings for my fellow bookwyrms, and I'm not likely to stop anytime soon. I have a loooong list of genres, and I'm thinking up different ideas and iterations for this all the time. I'm thinking my next genre will be memoir, but who knows from there. There are a plethora of books and, it feels like, new genres being explored every year, so I don't see myself stopping for a bit.

If you're a bookwyrm or have one in your life, check out what I've got available and keep an eye out for the future: kiana-lin.printify.me. If you'd rather I got to a specific genre sooner than later, message me on Instagram and let me know what you're hoping to see. I can't guarantee it'll be a fast turnaround, but I'll see what I can do.

In the meantime, happy reading!