My history with Altered Books: new videos

Today, I’d like to share a couple of videos with you:

YouTube is sort of a new venture for me. Well - I started creating videos back in 2021, just as another way to document my progression with each book. It has since evolved.

Over time it has become a way to gently push myself to be visible, and to share my work and words, beyond static images.

At the end of 2025, I put together a compilation of clips from projects I have worked on and completed throughout the year. This is becoming somewhat of a tradition, and is now my fourth year putting a video like this together.

Following this upload, I was staggered by the amount of emails and comments - from long-time supporters, and new.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have received many requests to talk about my background and how I developed these Altered Books throughout the years. I thought this was a good opportunity to cover my progression and experimentation with them, starting all the way back in 2010.

Maybe in another fifteen years, my experience with them will change, again.

I was surprisingly emotional putting this second video together.

Maybe part of that was due to my frustration with the editing process (I’m so terrible at it and I get incredibly impatient because I’d much rather be drawing or carving).

However, I don’t think I’ve ever really taken a moment to think about how much time has passed since my first attempt at altering a book, or about all the moments in between when I felt discouraged and wanted to give up entirely. Putting this together really gave me a new perspective on what it means to develop as an artist (and person), though I do of course know I still have so much growing and learning to do.

It’s not always easy to keep going when the path isn’t clear, but I’m grateful that I continue to try. I’m stubborn, it seems.

Altered Book currently in progress

I am immensely thankful that so many of you continue to take an interest in my work, are curious to learn about Altered Books as a whole, and so generously offer your kindness and encouragement for my efforts, and for the pieces I make.

Having people in my corner is truly a gift.

Sending my best,

Isobelle