I thought we'd talk a bit about telling your story this week. I don't know about you but one of the primary reasons that I love to scrapbook is that I love to tell the stories that I think are important to our family. I tend to journal on almost ever page that I do. However, I know, after years of being a part of this community, that a lot of people really struggle with journaling. So, I thought we could focus a little on journaling (or telling your story, if you prefer to think of it that way) this week.
First things first, what is journaling? Well, it's pretty simple. It's really just writing the story of your photos so that you document the story ~ the thing that happened ~ the words that were said ~ the actions that were taken. The who, where, what and when of the event or story that you want to tell. See, I told you it was easy.
Here are a few strategies to get you started if journaling is something that you struggle with ...
1. Just write. Write anything and everything that comes to mind. The nice thing about digital scrapbooking is that nice DELETE button which can erase all your mistakes. Write whatever comes to you and don't feel pressured to be perfect. You can go back later and fix any mistakes. Just start writing. I've heard that creativity is a right brain activity whereas writing and organizing thoughts is a left brain activity. Just getting your words on the page can apparently activate that left brain into helping you get those thoughts out onto paper & organized effectively. The creativity that you access while making your page is more of a right brained activity but the way with words that you need for journaling often comes from the left side of the brain. But, according to the reading I've been doing, just getting yourself to put words out there can activate that left side of the brain.which helps to get you more comfortable with the writing process.
2. Use those details. Pay attention to the details but start your journaling process by getting out the basics - the who, what, where and when. After you get those basics onto the page, you can go back in and fill in the details which add color and texture to your journaling. The detail is what makes the story vivid for those who read your journaling. Tell about the little things that we all have in our life but sometimes forget to include in our scrapbooks - the color of the sky, the cute comment our children make, the birds singing - whatever it is that you take notice of during an event. It can add color to your journaling and give those reading your journaling a sense of what you're trying to convey. It's the details that make the story special. It's the details that people often need to be reminded of ...Just remember, write from your heart and it will always be wonderful to read.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice. Journaling takes practice. It doesn't come easy to everyone but it does get easier with time. Be patient and don't give up. Keep trying. Keep journaling. Keep telling your stories. The more you journal, the more you'll learn about what works for you and what does not work for you. Just stick with it. In the end, telling a story is basically three things - 1. gathering information/details/'the story' 2. putting that information into a logical sequence and 3. working on it until it tells the story you want to tell.
My last tip is an easy one ... pay attention to those who journal well, read their journaling, learn what you like or don't like about their style. This is one of the BEST ways to get yourself more comfortable with journaling.
Here are a few pages, using Sarah's beautiful digital designs that showcase journaling, for you to take a look at and begin thinking about how to journal on your own pages ...
by QuiltyMom, using Memories of You
by becca1976, using Sister Sue
and one by ME using Spunky Monkey
by becca376, using Love You Always
I hope that you found these beautiful pages inspiring and I hope that you'll take some time to focus on telling your stories! Have a great week everyone!
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Great post, Amy!!
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