J is for JOURNALING #AtoZChallenge

Hi and welcome back to my A-Z blog challenge! For the month of April I am posting on the whys, hows, and wows of scrapbooking.

Today’s letter is a biggie – J is for Journaling.

As a writer, I love words. The documentation of life is powerful and preservative, and that is what journaling – and scrapbooking – is all about.

It’s funny, my earlier albums don’t contain a lot of journaling. A newbie to the hobby, I put more effort into the pictures and stickers than the storytelling, which is the most important part.

Historically, elders would pass down their heritage and wisdom using oratory means. Stories bound generations together and fortified human cultures.

I think of that when I create my books. The importance of journaling really struck me as I was drafting the H is HANDWRITING post for this blog sprint. The letter from my mom to my grand-parents contained a story – a memory that taught me about the time in which my family lived. It’s a tale I want to remember and share.

And while journaling is heart-warming, it’s also intimidating. Even with all of my writing experience I struggle with getting the right words down on paper. Like this blog challenge, the act of writing every day gives me and goal and pushes me to hone my skills.  

Here are few tips to add journaling to your scrapbook pages:

-         Keep it Concise – As my High School Journalism teacher used to say, “Reach out, grab ‘em by the sweatshirt, and pull ‘em in!”  The best stories are brief but impactful. Write it all down, and then edit out the fluff.

-         List names and ages – This is a tip offered by many experienced scrapbookers. Time passes quickly, and you may remember the names of the people in your albums, but your future generations and the friends checking out your book may need some help. Plus it takes the guesswork out of “How old was [child’s name] then?”

-         Document the Good Stuff – Life can get mundane. It’s the exciting-reflective-awesome moments that are what it’s all about. I sometimes get busy, but I force myself to journal the stories before the details fade.

-         Utilize Hidden Journaling – If you have a more sensitive or private story, one that you don’t want front-and-center for the world to see, you can hide it. Use a tag, envelope, or fold-over tab that flips open to reveal you story.

An example (the hidden journaling here is not a private memory, I just needed to conserve space on the page):

Last year I bought a cool bat-shaped dish for a friend, and I liked it so much that ended up buying two more, one for myself and for my sister. I deemed it my “Oprah Story”. J

That same Halloween, my niece attended a ghost tour which yielded some paranormal moments. I created an interactive tri-fold, flip-out section to fit all the pictures and memories onto the same page.

These are just a few examples. The sky is the limit.

Whether you use a small corner, or an entire 12x12 page, you can tell your story and illustrate a memory with journaling.

Well, A-Z party people, I really appreciate you checking out my blog. If you have a journaling suggestion or a scrapbooking technique you'd like to share, please leave a comment below, I'd love to read your suggestions.

There are also a million great blogs participating in the challenge, so if you’d like to check ‘em out, search the #AtoZChallenge.

And if you’re ready for more scrapbooking awesomeness, please stop back by tomorrow – K is for KEEPSAKES.

See you then!

-         SNG