Ramona here with a tutorial on journaling. This tutorial will be a bit different than our other tutorials, but I feel it is an important one. I am a HUGE fan of layouts with more than just photographs. I love layouts where the whole story is told. You have a photo or two or five and then writing that describes the event, the memory, the people involved. These are my favorite. And yet, all too often, I hear people say “I hate to journal” or “I just can’t journal” and it makes me sad. So, my hope today is to give you some ideas, some tips, perhaps a little confidence to go forward and tell the whole story-not just the half!
First I want to start with a layout I made for a book I’m doing for my inlaws. I didn’t have any information on the photo, just knew the three people involved. I scrapped it, and although I think it turned out beautifully, it still feels bare to me. I want more. I want a memory from the day or perhaps the feelings of this sweet young mother at that time of her life.
Now, to give a little contrast, how about this next layout. I scrapped this one using a few pictures from a family reunion. There was nothing fancy about the pictures at all. I didn’t even think any turned out well and was disappointed that I didn’t get more pictures to scrap with. However, I did have a few from our wasp adventure, the first night of our reunion when we were having our family BBQ. By using those little clips and telling the story how I remembered it, I think I captured the memory well and will be enjoyed by everyone who was in attendance that day.
Anyone of those photos, by themselves on a layout would have meant nothing and wouldn’t have made a cute layout. This is something that will be a fun addition to the family album and will be enjoyed for years to come.
The last layout I want to show you is of an experience where I had no pictures. These are called photo-less layouts and are some of my favorites! There are times when it just isn’t possible to capture a photo, but the memory still deserves to be documented. The story still should be told!
You’ll notice, in my journaling, I didn’t just share the good things that happened that day. I was honest in what I remembered and that included the monster meltdown my autistic son had. I believe that it is important to share the good and the bad, the true honest experiences, as they happen-as you remember them!
How do you start? If you’ve never done much journaling, where do you even begin?
1. Second Person Narrator: Be the narrator of your own experience. This is the type of he did this and she did that. You write as though you were the fly on the wall telling the events of the day. This style works great family parties, activities, events, etc. It’s important to describe as much as you possibly can! If you think of the photo as half the story then the adjectives you use, the little pieces of detail that you remember fill in the rest.
2. First Person Narrator: Here you get to speak to your audience in a more personal way. This is where you use “I” or “We” and you share the memory from your memory with your perspective. This way is great for one on one type layouts, baby books, etc. If you are speaking to a child or a parent or a friend or a spouse, the first person narration is great.
3. Third Person Narrator: This isn’t used often in books or writing but can be a great tool for writing something a bit more philosophical. For example, if you were writing as if you were part of the unknown audience…”imagine if one day you woke to find…” Again, maybe not used often, but it does have a nice affect for certain layouts.
4. Poetry/Music: If you have a picture that you love, but is maybe not tied to a memory, but more an emotion then using poetry to journal is a great tool. Many can relate to this and sometimes the words of a poem or a song say it better than we know how to. A back to school clip, a child playing in leaves, close up of eyes, etc. may work really well for this kind of layout.
There are other ways, but these are some basic ideas of where to start! And honestly, just talking on paper is best of all. Don’t worry about it being perfect. Every writer has their own “voice”. This is what makes each of us unique and I can’t think of a better thing to leave with your children and future generations-then your story told in your own voice.
Thank you for sharing the last page. My son is autistic also. I have never done a page relating to his meltdowns. I think it turned out great and has inspired me to not always scrap the good days but to share some of the bad parts so we can look back and see how much he has grow and learned.