When I started scrapbooking, back in the day (ha!), I did it to document the major events in my life. My marriage, my daugther’s birth, my first house. But these days, I find that I scrap mostly for the creative release it provides. The fact that I simultaneously get to preserve my family’s most cherished photos/memories is an added bonus. The only problem I’ve run into is the ‘journaling’ part. Sometimes I have nothing more to say than “how cute is she!” or “i love you”. Other times, I feel like just the date would suffice. Then there are the few times when I can write an entire novel of juicy information that I know I’ll want to read again years down the road.
One thing that used to stop me from journaling was the fact that I hated my handwriting. I can do it if I write my journaling in pencil first, neatly and slowly, and then go over it in pen. I also print out my journaling from time to time, but my favorite tool to use now is my typewriter. I actually find that it makes me journal a whole lot more that I used to just because I love the way it looks.
I also find that it helps to plan the location of my journaling in the initial design process. Sometimes, I’ll get to the end of a layout and then realize that there’s no where left to journal. I usually end up adding a couple strips of paper with just the basic info. If I plan it in ahead of time, I have more of a chance of actually including some meaningful writing.
Now, I’m working on branching out from just the who, what, when, where + emotion = journaling equation and delve deeper into the little details. I try to think of the little things, like the way my daughter whispers to sneak to into my bed in the middle of the night, or the face she makes when she’s confused, the smell of the air after it rains or the way a certain song makes my heart ache.
When I actually do have something very important to journal about, I usually prefer to keep it private. I also tend to get very long winded when you get me started, which is often difficult to fit onto one layout. To solve that problem, I usually include some sort of hidden journaling. I like to tuck a small slip of paper or a cute journaling tag behind a photo so it can be removed and read in the future. I also like to write on the back of the layout when hidden journaling isn’t possible.
It’s a process, but I hope to make journaling as important a part of my scrapbooking as the photos are. One layout at a time!
I love to write, this is my trademark on scrapbooking, but I agree with you, sometimes keep it private is better. The important is to keep the moment for you, not for websites galleries or magazine readers.
Is the typewriter on the picture the one you own? Oh, I love it!!
Hope we can meet soon!