Word Up!

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As a writing teacher, I tell my students that a blank sheet of paper can be the most terrifying thing in the world,and the most exciting. A blank page is full of possibilities for stories, thoughts, images, and emotions. But if you are experiencing a journaling writer's block, that blank page can be frightening! With that in mind, I've come up with some strategies to shake up your journaling and get you out of your creative rut.

Talking with several fellow scrappers, I realize that sometimes the words we put on paper take a backseat to design, and by the time we've had all the fun trimming and pasting and glittering, we have forgotten what it is we wanted to actually write on a page. Writing our stories seems more like "work" than "play." If you are in that camp, you've come to the "write" place! The real reason that many of us scrapbook is to preserve memories and tell stories. That only happens if we combine our words and images to complement each other.

Strategy #1: Perform for your audience

Whom do you write to when you journal? Who are the "I" the "we" and the "you"? If you think about who will read the words on your layouts, and who will want to hear the stories you tell, your writing will take on new meaning. If I am writing a story about my kids, I will either choose to write about them or to them, meaning that I will either say, "You performed so well at your gymnastic meet!" or "Josie is becoming quite the gymnast." If you play around with the audience, you will have lots of interesting pages.

Tip: To make things less complicated for future readers, I write a note at the bottom of most layouts identifying me as the writer: "Words by Kelly."

	Supplies: patterned paper (Creative Imaginations) • rub-ons (Heidi Swapp) • 12 x 12 layout by Kelly Jeppson
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My mom gave me a huge envelope of pictures from my childhood, and I knew that I wanted to use them on a layout. I chose to address the journaling to my kids, because as I looked at the pictures I remembered being a kid and thinking that when I was a mom I would be so old (for the record, I probably seem old to my kids, but I think I'm still a pretty spry 30-something!)

Strategy #2: Borrow someone else's words

You don't have to do all the work! Put on your fake mustache and slink around with a notebook or recording device - listen to the conversations around you and use the best of them as journaling on layouts about your everyday life. You can capture the true essence of your family or friends if you just listen.

Tip: Keep a cute notebook in your purse, in the car, on your counter, to record those conversations and quotes that make awesome journaling.

	Supplies: patterned paper (Scenic Route) • letter stickers (Colorbok) • 12 x 12 layout by Kelly Jeppson
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This conversation took place a few years ago, as I was driving with my two kids and their cousin, a budding comedian. I remember thinking, "I've got to write this down as soon as we get home!" and I'm so glad that I did. Reading it still makes me chuckle, and I can't wait to show it to them when they are teenagers.

Strategy #3: Say one thing.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, but you only use two, is that terrible? Not if they are the right words! Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not every story is long. Sometimes a short sentence can tell as much as three columns. Choose words that are loaded with meaning, and play around with how you use them.

	Supplies: patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket) • journaling card (Heidi Grace Designs) • stickers (Colorbok) • jelly letters ( ) • die-cut flower (repurposed notecard) • grid paper • 12 x 12 layout by Kelly Jeppson
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This one quote from a recent vacation captured the wonder and innocence of my sweet 5-year-old, Josie. The snappy one-liner would be lost if I wrote too much of an explanation. Combined with the photos, this journaling bite says it all about this experience.

Strategy #4: Celebrate the everyday

When you've written just about all you can about birthdays, Christmas, and baby's milestones, it's time to change it up by focusing on different subjects. Think about the little things that make up a life: your hobbies, your friends, your feelings and beliefs. Choose something that is decidedly ordinary and write about why you love it, or write about what makes your life an everyday adventure.

	Supplies: patterned paper (Stampin' Up!) • letter stickers (American Crafts) • glitter heart (Making Memories) • buttons • 12 x 12 layout by Kelly Jeppson
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I'm always proud when I line up all the jars of canned fruit on my counter after a steamy day in the kitchen, but I never real thought about why I love that moment. After journaling about a recent round of pear canning, I'm beginning to see how this everyday experience makes me the mom (and daughter) I am.

Strategy #5: Read for inspiration.

Just as you look at magazines, advertisements, and packaging for design inspiration on your layouts, pick up inspiration from the words you read. Use interesting quotes from novels, poems, or other people. Adopt a different tone of voice by trying out a different style of writing (newspaper reporting! letter writing! song lyrics!). Choose a style of writing that fits the subject of your layout and go for it!

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I'm dying to create a layout based on this list that I found in one of my favorite catalogs. Can't you just imagine how fun it would be to get pictures of all my friends who fit the category of "women behaving badly"?

Get More Journaling Help!

Writer Kelly Jeppson teamed up with Ella co-founder Angie Lucas to bring you a fantastic eBook all about journaling, and it will be available for sale in the next week or two! Watch for Journaling that Matters: Simple strategies for finding the right words and get ready to write like a pro. This is advice you can trust! Kelly is a college-level writing teacher and Angie has been professional writer and editor for more than a decade. The two co-authors originally met as students at Utah State University, where they both worked as tutors in the Writing Center. (Their favorite student mistake? The young man who wrote "take it for granite" instead of "take it for granted" in a research paper.)