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october 2, 2006 volume one : issue two This week is all about the words. Last weekend I spent time with a bunch of amazing scrapbookers in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). During one of the classes we talked a bunch about telling your story and letting go of that all too common desire to tell it perfectly. The more I travel and teach, the more I encounter women who express apprehension and fear over getting their stories just right, rather than just getting those stories down on paper. This week I hope to encourage and inspire you to make your own words a bigger part of your creative process. There is no better time than right now. Enjoy. Ali find your voice One of the things I share in my workshops is the idea that it is ok to let go of that high school English teacher that lives in your head. The one who is always correcting your sentence structure, making sure you have a proper noun and verb in every sentence, reprimanding you when you don't follow the "rules." Maybe it is even time for you to have a short conversation with that teacher (in your own mind of course), "Mr. or Mrs. So And So: Thank you for your time, but I am done with your services now." Did you do it? In all seriousness, words are important and powerful. The way in which you use them can inspire, arouse emotions, educate, harm, enlighten and much, much more. Words are our primary method of communication - followed closely by images. And, obviously, words are a very big part of scrapbooking. My love for words and stories is one of the reasons I was initially attracted to this hobby. I have always loved to read. I love to learn new things. I love to be taken away to another place and time simply by opening the pages of a book. It has only been over the last couple of years that I have come to enjoy writing almost as much as I love to read. Part of the reason I have come to love writing is because I have been working on letting go of those voices that tell me I need to follow the "rules" when I tell a story. Now I rely on my own voice - this is my story and the stories of my family and they deserve to be told in the most authentic way possible. When I journal I try not to worry so much. Some of my layouts include incomplete sentences, misspelled words, and other gigantic grammatical mistakes (right now those of you who are English teachers, editors, etc may be cringing, but bear with me). I often like to journal in a stream-of-consciousness manner - especially when it is a story that really effects me emotionally. This means I am writing more from my heart than from my head. This is my voice. I think one of the biggest challenges in journaling is figuring out how to link our hearts and our minds to help tell our stories more effectively (and to find our own individual voice). How do we achieve this balance? We practice. We learn as we go. We keep this idea in the forefront of our mind - not allowing it to constrain us, but rather allowing it to free us to tell our stories without fear of trying to write perfectly. Remember our perspective: twenty years from now no one is going to be worrying about your grammar (we all have more important things to worry about don't you think?). Instead they will be thankful that you took the time to actually write out the stories of your family and yourself. Just think how often people come across old photographs of their friends and family and have NO IDEA who the people are - let alone the stories of their lives. My Two Journaling Approaches: There are two main ways I approach the actual writing of my journaling. I either hand write in quick, short, stream-of-consciousness thoughts or I type up longer stories on my computer and print out my journaling onto cardstock or patterned paper. For me it simply depends on the story I am telling.   The Not-So-Happy Stuff: Not all stories are happy. And not all stories need to be told. Think about what you want someone to know about you once you have passed on...what were your likes and dislikes, your greatest accomplishments, your passions, your favorite experiences, your challenges? For me, I want them to know the real me - and that includes some of the not-so-happy stuff. Telling even the not-so-happy stories are important because they make us real. They confirm our humanity. They link us to future generations (and to the past) in that we all face challenges and disappointments. Can you imagine how cool it would be to read something one of your relatives wrote about the challenges (and the triumphs) they faced in their lives? To know their true story? Not as a voyeur, but to be connected. Traditionally, stories were passed down verbally. It seems these days that families are sharing less, keeping more inside, not connecting with one another in the way that sharing stories allows. It is just too bad. You have the power to do something about this right now. You can pick up a pen, open up a new document on your computer, and start to tell your stories. Below I am listing some of my current favorite products related to journaling: right now I am all about lined stamps and bits of paper with lines. I like that I can stamp or stick them right onto my foundation, jot my journaling, and then move on to the next project. FAVORITE JOURNALING RELATED PRODUCTS � Karen Russell's Journaler's Notebook � Fontwerks Lined Stamps � Sassafras Frame Stamps � Heidi Swapp Journal Spots � American Crafts Pigment Pro Pens � Hambly Journaling Bits � Autumn Leaves/ Katie's Stamps WRITING RESOURCES � The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron � How To Write Your Own Life Story by Lois Daniel � The Journaler's Handbook by Tracy White top 10 tips for getting those words down 1. Stop procrastinating and just start writing. I know what it feels like to stare at a blank piece of paper or a blank document on your computer. It can be paralyzing. Start simple. In the beginning don't worry about going in the right order or what exactly you are going to say - just begin. This is a huge hurdle to get over. You can do this. 2. Use single words. Not all stories need paragraphs. Some stories can be told in single words or short phrases. I especially love word stickers for this type of story. 3. Identify five stories you really want to tell. Focus yourself on those stories...by pinpointing just a couple stories in the beginning you let go of that pressure to tell them all at once. And if five is too many for you, pick two. Don't spend too much time identifying what these stories are - pick two and get to work. Then pick two more. There will always be more stories to tell (and this is a good thing). 4. The more you write the more comfortable you will be become with your own voice. Start a blog or a personal journal simply for writing practice. In her book The Artist's Way author and artist Julia Cameron advocates Morning Pages - waking up each morning and writing three pages first thing. The idea is that you get all that "stuff" that is in your head out onto the piece of paper and are then able to think more freely and more creatively in the rest of your pursuits throughout the day. Writing about what you think is "nothing" is really something that is freeing you to focus on more important stuff. 5. Read more. The more you read the more you become comfortable with language and using language. Don't feel like you have to read Crime & Punishment (although it is a good one) - read in the bathroom, read while waiting to pick up your kids, read while on your break at work. We have become a society that seems to read less and less all the time as everything speeds up to keep up. Slow yourself down just a bit...read a bit more...and see your own writing improve. 6. Make lists and use them for your journaling. For a bit of inspiration check out this site that is dedicated to found grocery lists. 7. Write like you talk - infuse your personality into your written voice. If there are certain words you use when you talk out loud, add them into your written journaling. It is more authentically you when you include words you say all the time. 8. Keep a small notebook dedicated to stories. Get one that fits in your bag - something that you can keep with you so that when you think of a story you can jot it down immediately. One of my favorite new products is called a Journaler's Notebook created by Karen Russell for her Narratives line. The cool thing about this little notebook is that the journaling blocks are already designed for you - you simply need to add your story and then stick it on a page. I love the simplicity in that whole concept. 9. Ask someone else to write a story for you. Ok, so this technically won't help your own writing voice, but it will help you get another page done - and add some diversity in your scrapbook layouts. Ask your husband or partner or child or friend to tell a story in their own words. Sometimes freeing yourself from one particular story will open you up to being able to tell the next one. 10. Stop stressing. Stop worrying that what you write won't be "right." No one can tell your story better than you can. Don't create another page with the plan to add the journaling later (I know you guys do this because you have told me in workshops). Make a conscious choice that your words are just as important as the photos and embellishments. weekly challenge When I come up with a concept that really seems to resonate with me I try to repeat it as often as makes sense. This is all part of not making things more complicated than they need to be. One of my current favorite concepts is simply called "This Month" which features a run down of the things that are happening for Chris, Simon and me over the course of a month. You could easily do this weekly as well - a week in review sort of page. Another cool thing about this concept is that it begs to not be written in complete sentences. This week's challenge is to create a layout titled This Month. Use what you and your family did last month as the content. For each person in your family (or just for yourself) make a list of all the things that were happening. Here's an example of the type of journaling I am challenging you to use: started your second year of preschool; ate apples, cheese, and chips for lunch almost everyday; you were totally into the "elephant" Baby Einstein movie; you seem to be talking more all the time; lots of giggles and chasing Daddy around in the evening; etc. One thing I love about this concept: even if you scrapbook only 12 times a year you will have one page for each month - a wonderful peek into you and your families lives. I will be posting my layout on my blog on Friday, October 6 (I am changing the posting day from Wednesday to Friday so that people have more time to work on the challenge). Looking forward to seeing your layouts. question and answer Q : Lately I have really been wanting to get more ideas for pages without photos. I love how cool it is and i was just wondering if maybe you would sometime address it. A : Great question. This is a hobby that is as much about self-expression as it is about photos and storytelling and playing with products. And self-expression comes in so many different forms. For many people, there are stories waiting to be told that exist without photos. Either photos to go along with the story were lost, or there were never photos in the first place. Here are a couple strategies for working with layouts without photos: 1. Treat your journaling block as if it were a photo. Give it center stage in your design - this often translates into it becoming the largest block on your layout. 2. When working with large blocks of text contrast becomes an important design factor. If your journaling block is large, compliment it with a few small embellishments (I always aim for an odd number) that don't overpower the page and allow the reader to focus on the words. One of my favorite months as a Garden Girl on the Two Peas design team was the No-Photo month. Take a look at the awesome designs here for additional ideas and inspiration If you have a question you would like to have answered send me an email and write "newsletter" in the subject line. Copyright � 2006 Ali Edwards/AE Design/Life Art Media.
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