Live it, journal it

Perhaps it's because one of my grandmothers had severe Alzheimers before she died or maybe it's because I look at old family photos and have no idea who the people are or what the stories are behind them, but journaling plays a very large role in my scrapbooking. I want to be able to recall - or have some future great-grandchild read about - thoughts, events and little snippets of conversation that made my life worth living.

Since my scrapbooking obsession hobby began, the most common reason I have heard from people who don't journal is that since there was no special event or occasion that occurred, they didn't know what to say. I believe, however, that journaling is so much more than writing about vacations or holidays (although those are important). Journaling is just as effective and meaningful when you write about something as simple as your current mood or why vacuuming dog hair off your sofa for the 100th time is annoying. And, I think, journaling about the everyday, mundane things in life triggers so many more memories and allows you to later recapture entire weeks, months and sometimes years from one single recorded moment.

So, the next time you are creating a layout, look at your picture(s) and ask yourself these questions: What is the subject of the photo doing? What am I thinking? How do I feel about this picture or the people in it? What memories does this picture invoke? Why do I like this picture enough to create a layout? Is there anything I see in this picture that I don't like and want to change? What and why? Once you have answered these questions - write about it! Even if you tape a piece of paper to the back of your layout for no one else to see, write about it!

Are you still stuck? Here are some links to help you get started:

http://journalingprompts.com/
http://www.squidoo.com/journalwritingprompts
http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Themes/About_Me/874.php
http://www.artistsjournals.com/instruction/fairytale-prompts.htm
http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/

Happy journaling!