When it comes to journaling, what do you find yourself struggling with?

[nirecreations]

What is your philosophy when it comes to journaling?

Is it just get the rough facts down or is it telling the story BEHIND the picture? Do you hate to write, so you just leave it off all together and wish that you could say more? Do tell...

[ajfetzer]

I love Journaling and often find that I don't have enough room for all of the details tha I want to add. I want to record all of the small details about the photo that I know I will forget in the years to come.

[LauraBean]

I struggle with all of it. I can so seldom figure out what the story actually is--I take so many pictures, and the ones I love scrapping are just the best portraits or candids of people I love--so I find it hard to say anything beyond the date without sounding terribly cheesy.

I have also noticed that I'm much less comfortable with words once I'm in scrapping mode--maybe a right brain - left brain thing? Because I am typically a highly word oriented person, but many of my layouts are practically wordless. (I'm committed to dates, though!)

[omyjallopy]

I love journaling, I just don't always like how it looks on my layout. Sooooo, I don't know what to do about that. Oftentimes, I make another page that is all journaling for a double-page spread.

[nativescrapper]

Journaling??? I guess you can say I really have a hard time with it! Sometimes its comes easy and othertimes I really struggle with it.
Just like what Laura said "I find it hard to say anything beyond the date without sounding terribly cheesy"
I guess its just what mood Im in and what layout im doing. It sometimes just bummm's me out!

[Starlite9711]

Add me to the list! I struggle with all of it. First of all, I am a terrible writer. Sentence structure totally escapes me. Im also in the same boat as Ashley, I have no idea where to put it most times. Since I usually add it last, I can never seem to find the "right" place. And I can also relate to Laura, sometimes, there isn't much of a story, just a neat shot, or candid. I also write like I talk....and sometimes the journaling just seems too cheesy and not "me". So thats that.

[cheekymonkey]

Originally Posted by nirecreations

Is it just get the rough facts down or is it telling the story BEHIND the picture?

Yes.


I love journaling, but I think it depends on the page. Sometimes the photos can speak for themselves, other times I need to be the one to do the speaking.

I like to keep a very informal wire-bound journal, and some days I write out lists of ideas or just a sentence or two. Other days I write pages... but for me, the less pressure I put on myself to be profound or have the "perfect" thing to say, the more productive I am at writing and scrapping. But that's just me, I'm rarely at a loss for words...

[oldvwblues]

I'm pretty lousy with the journaling...it's hard to find the right words without sounding strange and what I have done...it's pretty forced. I think it's good to do and really adds alot to the photo but I'm not really good with words..as you can see by this answer. LOL!

[LaRissa]

I also have the journaling phobia! I'm with Lauren and Bailey - just the facts, anything else ends up sounding cheesy.

[margarete]

I'm awful when it comes to journaling. Putting thoughts into spoken/written words is something I'm not very good at—I struggle with writing {period}. I also tend to blab away, so that makes it even more difficult; however, on that same note, I wish I could be more articulate and journal more.

[AbbyG]

I struggle with feeling that what I'm writing just sounds so silly. Like it sounds kind of basic and not very "deep". Sometimes the deep stuff just flows, but most of the time I'm just blabbing and to me sounds silly. But, I've realized that when I look back on it a few months later, I like it more, so I've learned to just go with the flow, write and then leave it. Go with the first instincts.

[katrinak]

I LOVE to journal and will often have that on the page before anything else. For me it is so important to know what was going on in the photo and all of the details. But...that being said, sometimes I just like the simplicity of a photo too!

[kathie02]

I HATE to journal!! I love quotes, and Katie and Anna'a gorgeous word art...saves me every time!! I really need to work on journaling more though....it is such an important part of the layout!

Originally Posted by kathie02

I HATE to journal!! I love quotes, and Katie and Anna'a gorgeous word art...saves me every time!! I really need to work on journaling more though....it is such an important part of the layout!

It must be in the family, because I hate to journal too! But, I am making an effort to get better!

[omyjallopy]

Okay, now you've peaked my interest Joey! Have I completely missed it or are you and Kathie family???? I know this has nothing to do with journaling...

[RatherBScrappin]

Add me to the list of those who have issues with journaling. I just took Jessica Sprague's Type + Writer class...actually I have to finish it because it was going on when my MIL passed away. It was a great class, though, for as far as I got. I'm learning how to journal more from an every day perspective. I don't want to just journal the event, but what I was thinking, kwim?

Originally Posted by omyjallopy

Okay, now you've peaked my interest Joey! Have I completely missed it or are you and Kathie family???? I know this has nothing to do with journaling...

Yep, Kathie is my aunt. She married my dad's brother. She's to blame for my scrapping addiction!

[beehive50]

Originally Posted by babyroo7

She's to blame for my scrapping addiction!

Another hijack... sorry... but we're so glad she did, Joey!

[beehive50]

Well, I tend to journal on most pages... there's usually a story to tell! And, I love to talk, so... I usually journal just like I talk, but I do like to vary my journaling, too, so sometimes I'll use a "list" format, sometimes I'll keep it short and sweet, sometimes I run on and on and on... and sometimes, the photo says it all and there's no need too many words.

One thing I always try to remember to add to my layouts, tho, is the DATE! I don't wanna ever be guessing... "Was he in 1st Grade?" "Was that in high school or college?"

[carollee]

With the family album I'm having to journal more than ever before, getting some stories down, not every page, but a lot of them there's stories behind the photos. My main trouble is mixing my writing from 1st person to 3rd person (I think that's what you call it).

[tdavenport]

I love journaling! So much easier than deciding on embellishments. I write like I talk. Most of the time it's from my perspective. Sometimes long. Sometimes short. Whatever the layout seems to warrant.

Originally Posted by beehive50

Another hijack... sorry... but we're so glad she did, Joey!

Thanks, Debi! I so glad to be here!

[belle]

I hate journaling I love the quotes what I struggle with the most is the words lol

Belle

[wookiegirl]

Oh my goodness, journaling... it's my nemesis. I totally have to be in the mood to journal or it just isn't happening. My problem is that I get so hung up on making it perfect, I think - I want to make sure I get all the meaning out of the pictures, and express all my emotions, and say everything in a clever way... I always end up thinking I could have said it better. And like Laura said, I often have a hard time deciding what the story is - what angle do I want to take? It's just easier - and more fun - to work on the design part and leave journaling for later... which, unfortunately, means the really important pages never get done. Lately I've been sitting down at the computer just to journal so I can focus on it alone - and it helps.

[Crissy]

I like to journal, however I feel sometimes I am repeating the same things over and over again. That's when I start looking for a quote.

[MIDA78466]

I love to journal. Like getting the story down instead of the basic who, what, where and when. Sometimes, I have too much to say!!

[JesseEdwards]

I love to journal too... I notoriously have a bad memory, so I have to write it down to remember. I also find it hard to often get everything I want on the page, maybe I should just do more pages!