So you may be thinking that looking at a photo and telling me a story is the easy part and that putting it all down on paper is the hard part. I will totally agree with you on that one! Putting it on paper is permanent (mostly), and sharing it is definitely permanent. Today and tomorrow we're going to look at the process of getting those thoughts and feelings down in layout form and the design behind that too.
When I talk about creating meaningful journaling on your layouts what I DO NOT mean is putting all your deep dark secrets and skeletons out for display. What I DO mean is taking the stories we shared yesterday and putting them down on your page and writing from your heart: your feelings, your hopes, your fears, your thoughts about that time/person/event. There are many times that I'll just start writing on a scrap piece of paper or typing on the computer my thoughts and feelings about a memory and/or photo(s). This helps you get into practice of writing it out and getting a "feel" for your writing style. These are your memories so there is no need for Pulitzer Prize winning prose because I can tell you that mine certainly is not! Make it your own. Just write.
Remember those times in high school English class when they asked you to just do "free writing"? Yep, me too and I can tell you I never took advantage of writing time at the ripe old age of 17! Now, I do enjoy it, especially when I get to write about my favorite subjects: my family and friends. Look at it as adult free writing time and this time you don't have to produce anything about Shakespeare (unless you want to!)
I asked a few guests and WCS contributors to share a layout or two of their own and share their meaningful journaling process with you. Everyone has their own way and you might find one that fits your style and gives you a jumpstart.
I chose to share a layout about what my daughter ultimately wants from me: time...
My daughter Ella and I did an impromptu photo shoot one day while she was still home with me and her sister Maya was off at school. I remember the good time we had being silly and having fun. When I received these prints the first thing that came to mind was that I wasn't thrilled about how I looked. When Ella saw them she was so excited and laughed about how much fun we had and the funny faces even mommy made. That's when it hit me: she does not care one iota about what I look like. She had fun with her mom. So I journaled just that. I journaled about what really counts as a parent and what they want and need from us.
Donna Jannuzzi was really kind to open herself to all of us and share this layout and her process:
Donna shares this about her journaling process for this particular layout:
In January of this year, our son Michael Anthony was stillborn. This was the first layout I made after our son Michael passed away. At the time, I didn't really know if I would be able to scrapbook again or at least, I didn't know when I'd be able to scrapbook again. It was surprising to me then, when just after we lost Michael I felt a pull to create. I knew that I wanted to document something that reminded me of the blessings in my life. I made this layout, but I didn't add any journaling to it at the time. Every time I went to add journaling, well, I simply couldn't do it. It just reminded me too much of the pain I was feeling when I made this page Then, a short time after my husband and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary, I took the opportunity to finally put down some thoughts. The journaling is simple, honest, and straightforward. It reflects my thankfulness for my marriage. My husband is an amazing source of support and strength for me and I'm certain that God knew what he was doing when he brought the two of us together.
Nancy Doren shared this layout with you about her difficult summer that ended up giving her a valuable experience too:
Here's what Nancy had to say about her journaling process:
I'm almost always nervous to share personal journaling on my layouts. Sometimes I hold my breath when I press "Publish" on a blog post with emotional journaling, worrying that I've shared too much or that I'll regret revealing something so personal. But in my experience, the layouts with personal journaling always get the most positive response, by far. I've never shared personal journaling for which I didn't receive tons of supportive feedback. I think most people have similar experiences and they love to hear that someone else shares that experience.
When I'm journaling about an event or feeling that isn't necessarily a sunshiney one, I usually end the journaling with a positive spin. I write about what the experience taught me, how I want to change in the future, or the positive impact it had on me. While I always want to be realistic, I also want to be optimistic, and ending on a positive note helps me feel good about what I've shared.
Jenni shares her overall process and specifically her process for this layout:
I enjoy creating some layouts that share the who, what, when, where, why, but I have found that my most cherished layouts are those that share my heart go beyond the 5 W's. In order to accomplish this, I like to look at my photographs and think about what I truly want to remember from that moment: maybe it's what we were doing at the time, a particular quality or trait, a struggle, or even a hope or a prayer. For this particular layout, my daughter Jordan and her best friend were having a photography session together. When looking at these pictures, I couldn't help but think of how I always hopes she possess the joy she has now as a small child. I began focusing my journaling as a note to her, sharing my hope that she will always enjoy the simple pleasures of life and carry the heart of a child with her into adulthood. I find that when I write my journaling as a note to someone (or myself) it doesn't feel as awkward or forced. Additionaly, if the journaling is very personal to me, I will sometimes write it on a tag that can be tucked away. Knowing that it can be hidden sometimes allows for more free-flowing journaling.
Stacey Michaud journaled about finding and meeting a new family member as an adult:
Stacey says this about writing authentic journaling on her layouts:
In order for scrapbooking to be authentic to me, I have to scrap meaningful pages that tell the story behind the photo. A part of that involves using my pages as a journal. I try to reflect on where I am in life, what emotions I am feeling, what is bothering me or what goals I am considering. I grab those deep thoughts we all have and explore them. I find photos to match and look for papers or embellishments to fit the theme of the page. There are some photos and ideas that I hold until the just right paper comes along. Once I have all the elements, I just let go. I write with honesty and I write as though I am the only one who will read it. That helps me let go of how something sounds and focus on validating the feeling. Once you practice a few times, that inner voice just comes naturally.
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As you can see we all came about our journaling in different ways for these layouts, but had one thing in common: we told the story from our hearts. The contributors shared what mattered to them either at that time in their life or through the photo(s) they were scrapping.
Journaling can be therapeutic, as it was for Donna, and I imagine for the rest of the contributors as well. I know for me to scrap something challenging or emotion is very, very difficult, but it's as if a boulder is lifted from me when I stand back and look at the finished layout. It's also therapeutic to journal about a quirk or something light hearted. Have you ever literally laughed out loud when looking at a layout? It's awesome to relive those moments and have yet another chuckle over it!
Come back tomorrow when we'll share more journaling layouts and look at design when incorporating meaningful journaling into your work!
