Journaling for scrapbooking can be a challenge for even professional writers, let alone everyday you and me. The personal nature of journaling can tug at uncomfortable strings, bringing out fears of such deep introspection. To help you become a better journaler, here are some tips from our design team.
From Erin:
“I use Evernote to jot down stories I want to SB. It’s also great to use to keep track of things kids say and other antidotes.”
From Jean:
“Let the journaling speak to the senses and include details that readers can taste, feel, hear and smell that complement the photos on your layout that the readers can see. If the cookies you ate were chocolate chip and melted slightly in your hand, say so. If you brushed up against a spruce tree as you hiked the trail, tell us about the way it tickled your leg or stuck to your hair.”
From Rachel:
“Write from the heart. Even if the emotions are difficult to deal with, write them down- you can always hide the journaling behind a picture.”
From Sarabeth:
“I like to keep track of things to journal in my planner. I jot down people, places, time – anything relevant to the event so I will not forget. Usually when I get home I add a little memorable moment of what happened and include maybe a quote or two of a conversation.”
From Shannon:
“Make sure to include the important details – who, what, where, why and [most importantly] when. Think about what you want people to know about the photo(s) if they’re flipping through your scrapbooks and you’re not there. That information is most important for your pages.”
From Jess:
“Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated – practice, practice, practice! Put your pen to a scrap piece of paper or your hands to you keyboard and just write. Don’t edit until all of your thoughts are on the page. Give yourself permission to take a few days to let the story percolate. Go back and ask yourself what do I want to remember 20, 30 or 40 years from now? Don’t worry if you struggle with journaling, we all do at one time or another!”
What is your best tip for better journaling? Share it in the comments.
I have tried many ways in my life to find the best way for me and I have found the easiest way was to keep a little booklet with me at all times. I print it out each week and jot my notes and keep them all in a box by date so I can find the photos easily from that date. Then when I’m ready to scrap, I pull it from the box, go to that date of photos and have it all ready to start.
I gave these away for free previously, but easy to make. Here is a blog post I did about how I do it. http://blog.digitaldesignershop.com/2010/11/technique-thursday-how-to-remember-your.html
I try to include the details you can’t see in the photos – what happened on the car ride there, funny things the kids were saying, how excited (or not) every one was, etc… And it really is important to write stuff down as soon as you can. You think you’ll never forget but with all the info our brains store every day, chances are high you will forget.
I love the Log Your Memory planner lately. It was invaluable when I did my baby’s first year book in 2009 🙂