any way you like it.

journaling.
don't be afraid of it.
for so many people, the thought of putting their thoughts on paper terrifies them.
REALLY terrifies them.

maybe it's because i'm a sentimental, sensitive fool who talks alot, lol...but for me, journaling is not only usually the easiest part of a project for me, but more often than not, it's the whole reason for starting one.

and i think that maybe people put too much pressure on themselves about getting it 'just right'.

but my motto has always been...'if you write it down as if you were speaking it out loud, you can't go wrong and it will sound like 'you' every single time'.

i promise.

and that doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be the same way every time either.

a few examples...

this layout about my husband and i takes on the 'what if?' format of journaling. i mean honestly, we've all wondered what may/could have been about a situation at one time or another...so if you find yourself thinking that way, jot it down. this one is an example of what, to me, is probably one of THE most important things to journal about...the not-so-full-of-sunshine situations. i'll be the first to admit that i struggle with different things everyday, and if you don't journal about the rough stuff, how honest are you being with yourself? added bonus: it can be therapeutic, lol.

ahhh...one of the easiest ways ever to journal: random thoughts running rampant, lol. think of this as one of those 'say the first thing that comes to your mind' kind of games...choose your topic and just start writing.

this one kind of ties a few theories into one...a story, random thoughts, a memory and a therapeutic element all rolled into one. nobody said you have to stick with just one format, right?!

if you know me at all, you know that i LOVE to scrap older pictures. my daughter is almost 10, yet this picture is from when she was only 3. and after her telling us this past Christmas that she no longer believes in Santa, i found this photo and it honestly made me cry. every mom has been there...it's a huge deal when that happens, right? but rather than use a current picture of her to talk about this exchange between us, i thought this one spoke volumes about the issue. sometimes some of your best journaling may have NOTHING to do with the picture you use...so don't restrict yourself when it comes to that.

quotes? words of wisdom? phrases, sayings and nuances? i know i want to remember them...and to ensure that i do, i have a million scraps of paper laying on my desk of tidbits my family has said over the years. maybe it was something that made me laugh...or cry...or something that just made me beam with pride. whatever it is, if i ever get stuck, a prompt is just across the desk if i pick one of them up.

this one is an example of your title being part of the journaling like i mentioned yesterday.

i think if you ask 100 scrappers to do a page about themselves, probably 98 of them would panic. the other 2 just might think to document a quality about themselves that is characteristic without being too revealing...pretty sneaky, eh?!

so there you have it...a few examples to hopefully get you started. there are lots of online sites to get you out of your journaling rut if you need it as well...Journaler's Junction and the Design Experiment are two off the top of my head.

remember...if you get stuck, sit down and talk out loud to yourself. seriously. nobody will know any different, and if you take a few notes while you're doing so, you're sure to end up with some words that are guaranteed to get your story across.

which is what it's all about, isn't it?