The Art & Practice of Journaling free mini-course from Simple Scrapper offers a guided path to better scrapbook journaling.
Lesson
Life is full of change, of growth, of development and evolution. It is also full of physical journeys, from one place to another, towards a new home or a new adventure. These experiences often represent some of the most defining moments of our lives. The journey documents where we came from and who we are becoming today.
This is one of my favorite techniques to journal and scrapbooking, because the stories that celebrate the journey can be some of the most powerful you will ever tell. They reveal the most why and how, showcasing the backstory of why something is (or is not).
Sometimes these stories are obvious, like a trip or how your baby grows into a toddler. There are many more, though, that require a little thought and investigation. Just as you can draw connections between seemingly unrelated images (see Day 6 – Revelations), you can also reveal the journey through superficially similar photographs.
To uncover a hidden journey, thing about the emotional or psychological impact of a change in your life, even if slight. For example, you may show images of yourself at work over the years. On one hand you are grateful to have steady employment, perhaps even at the same place, but on the other perhaps you long for more excitement or to have tried different things.
Assignment
If you’ve not scrapbooked a journey before, start with something easy to get the hang of selecting photos and telling the story. The easiest way to try this approach is documenting how a person has changed (inside and out) over a specific period of time. Start with two photos or (if you can) choose a few more. After selecting photos, practice writing in your journal first before creating your page.
- Off the top of your head, what journeys could you scrapbook that you’ve not yet documented? Is there a journey you’re nervous to share in a scrapbook?
Further Discovery
Scrapbooking Your “Then & Now” – A past blog post at Simple Scrapper on connecting past and present through words and photos.
The Scrapbooking Journey – An older print book focused on documenting emotional journeys with your scrapbook pages.
At this time I’m documenting a journey – a week long cruise. Documenting travels may not be as cathartic as healing a broken heart but at the same time it can change a person. Seeing new places, trying new foods, doing things you don’t normally do all contribute to your growth as a person.