I’ve taught a lot of in-person classes, and one of the most frequent problems new scrapbookers run into is the question of what to say, and how to say it. I remember when I first started scrapbooking, I was nervous and unsure of where to start as well. I even took a class on it. The class, however, was not very useful, since basically all the instructor did was read from the book that came with the class. There was one exercise that we did where I was supposed to write as much about a particular occasion as I could remember, using as many sensory cues (sight, smell, scent, etc.) as I could tie in. Of course, being the good student that I am, I sat right there and wrote as much as I could in the five minutes she gave me during class. When she saw how much I had written she said to me something along the lines of “I thought you said you were having trouble journaling?” Right then it clicked.

Writing for a scrapbook is no different from any other writing.

What would you write about the photos you want to use if you were sharing them on Facebook or Instagram? How would you share a funny family story with your long distance family and friends? Why are the photos you want to scrapbook important to you?

In the end, that’s all journaling comes down to. It can be simple who, what, where, and when details, or you can flesh out your story and tell the why and how.

That’s all it is. The secret to successful journaling is just to write. It’s only words. They are not etched in stone, and there’s no rule that says you can’t revisit the story at a later date to make a new page that tells even more of the story.

I have a challenge for you. Make a page this week with only ten words on the page, including title. No more, no less. I’ll make one too, and show it to you later this week.

Here’s a little inspiration for you, with only five words on it. (Eight if you count the date.)

Let’s get scrapping! No excuses!