[sfcgijill]

I'm guilty! I have entire albums with no journaling whatsoever. Fortunately, I can remember all of the things that were happening in the pictures.

On the flip side, I have thousands and thousands of vintage family photos. If it weren't for my grandmother writing on the backs, I would have no idea who most of the people were, especially since my dad was military and I am also, which means I don't get to see my extended family much - meaning that I can't associate certain faces with their names!

So, I resolve to journal at least names, dates and places from now on!

[Jezza]

I often don't journal! I love how free you can be. Sometimes I get so carried away with the designs of it all I forget about the journalling side of things.

Sometimes I'll just add some song lyrics that are meaningful instead, or a quote that is meaningful.

[dinny]

I am much more pleased with my layouts when I have included journalling. I feel the layouts I do with just a pretty picture are simply a nice looking picture frame. But, when I tell the story behind the photo, I get so much more out of it. My kids will even say... mom, I remember that... or ...why didn't you right anything here. They notice. And years from now, they will remember.

[Cassandra]

I usually journal. I do it because someday I won't be here to explain why I took the picture or what we were doing when the picture was taken or my personal thoughts about the person or people in the photo. I guess I always think of my scrapbooks as being a gift to my future generations. That being said there are some pages on which I don't journal on. On those pages are pictures that just speak for themselves, they just look complete without any journaling. I think it is all a matter of personal preference. Some pages I do detailed journaling and some are just dates and names. To me it is just what I want to convey at the time. I don't think there are any rights or wrongs when it comes to journaling.

[Mandiannie]

I'm guilty of not journaling. I've been doing alot of gift albums and usually it's things like 3 months old, sitting up or newborns so there's not much journaling to do if you're not the mother. I have made it a habit to add quotes that fit the picture or event as well as adding a date somewhere in the layout. All in all when I do layouts of my there's usually quite a bit of journaling and storytelling.

[anna]

I tend to spew on and on with journaling! I have been trying to cut back actually! But, the recording the story and all the details is one of the most improtant reasons I scrapbook, so I guess doing lots of journaling isn't a bad thing....I have been experimenting with using more white space and fewer words, though. I guess I would just like to feel comfortable with a variety of styles-some with journaling and some without.

[chickypow]

I often don't journal. Sometimes I just put 1 word or a sentence to describe how I feel about the photo and that is all it needs. Depends on the LO, sometimes I want to describe a feeling or event, but often I can express my feeling with a word, like Love, Adore, etc.

[zachsmommy]

If the picture has a special memory or commemorates something I don't want to forget, I will definitely journal. Other times, just a title and maybe a date is sufficient. At least for now. I hope I don't look back 15 years from now and kick myself for not writing more...

[April Showers]

I try to do as much journaling as possible. Sometimes the story is self explanatory, but at least getting names and dates is a good idea.
We have my grandmother's scrapbooks from the 40's early 50's. She was quite the scrapbooker. Embellishments, memorabilia and everything. (My grand father was a world champion boat racer.) Thankfully she wrote down the who and where. Just wish she'd done a bit more of the feelings. But she was a diligent journal writer, so we do have those. What a treasure- she died of cancer when my mom was 13, so I never got to know her.
I try to remember WHY I am doing this and that usually makes me do more.

[Ngaire]

I love to read journalling on layouts but that doesn't mean every layout needs journalling. I think every layout is different, so do what you feel at the time. I do know from experience that down the track you DO forget!!! You don't think you will but you do!! So with that in mind I look at the layout and put what I think I would like someone to know in 50years time!!

[momentousangel]

Often I also make another layout using the same photo with no journaling at all. This way I don't have to worry about hiding my journal that I don't want others to see. I love to journal though, for me it comes easier than for others, Until I end up doing 3 extra layouts just so I can get all the journaling in there, lol.

[sfcgijill]

You know, since July when I last posted this thread, I am doing more journaling, but not by much. I think I just find it hard to put the "feelings" part out there. although some of the pages where I did journal are my favorites! so go figure...

[mickelle]

When I first took up digi-scrapping, it was with things like my wedding. Most things I wanted to remember about the day, etc. were already in a journal, so the scrapbook journaling just didn't fill a need. Now that I'm moving on to scrapping other topics, I'm trying to reverse the non-journaling habit.

It's good to hear so many scrappers who believe in the importance of journaling. I'm afraid if I don't journal (on most pages), I will look back at my projects, years from now, and worry that I got so engrossed with the papers, embellishments, and fluff that I forgot the reason I'd started in the first place.

[momentousangel]

mickelle, on Mar 8 2007, 01:55 PM, said:

When I first took up digi-scrapping, it was with things like my wedding. Most things I wanted to remember about the day, etc. were already in a journal, so the scrapbook journaling just didn't fill a need. Now that I'm moving on to scrapping other topics, I'm trying to reverse the non-journaling habit.

It's good to hear so many scrappers who believe in the importance of journaling. I'm afraid if I don't journal (on most pages), I will look back at my projects, years from now, and worry that I got so engrossed with the papers, embellishments, and fluff that I forgot the reason I'd started in the first place.

Very well put. Often people get so engrossed in the fluff that they forget the important stuff.

[Ana]

As I've been starting out, I haven't really been comfortable with journaling, so my first few layouts have had little to none. Sometimes I just include a title or a date, and I think that some pictures can tell their story with just that little bit.

[disneymom]

I like to be sure that someone who is looking at my scrapbook doesn't need me to explain it to them. Sometimes this requires words and sometimes it doesn't.

[ruralscrapper]

I usually journal as I feel it is an important part of a scrapbook. I, too, feel that one day I won't be here to explain what was going on in the picture. Although, there are some that need no explanation.

[bandwife]

wings, on Jul 27 2005, 07:26 AM, said:

I journal at least a little on all my pages. I have a degree in writing, so the journaling is often the first thing I do, and then I fit the rest of the page around it. That said, I agree that there are some layouts that don't require a lot of words. In this case, I would ask myself this: If I put this layout away for 5 years and then come back to look at it, what questions will come to my mind? (Where did I take this, why did I take this, when did I take this, what was I thinking, etc.) and then I would answer that question, maybe in as few words as possible. Those words might become a title rather than a separate journaling block.

Never underestimate the ability to forget why/where/what you were trying to show in your layout!!!

You said it Pam! I am trying to figure out what I will do the the shoe box of old photos I got from my grandmother. Many don't have any names on the back or dates. Dad cann't remember who some are. I am just starting but I want other's to be able to know why I did the page/event.

[firecracker55]

I've been wondering a lot about this as I have been doing more digiscrapping and noticed I haven't been journaling as much. I really like the artistic side of many LOs and know that too much journaling would detract from that, but...the story must be told...we do begin to forget! I have thought about adding a page of private journaling to each digi LO and placing it behind it in the album. Any other ideas?

[kle-Karen]

sfcgijill, on Mar 7 2007, 08:27 PM, said:

You know, since July when I last posted this thread, I am doing more journaling, but not by much. I think I just find it hard to put the "feelings" part out there. although some of the pages where I did journal are my favorites! so go figure...

I,for one, am huge on journaling. As I browse through the gallery looking for examples, I have been surprised how few LOs have journaling.

I don't necessarily think journaling has to be about the feelings. I understand how it can be hard to put feelings on paper. but sometimes just the facts are better than nothing. and writing a few facts may naturally bring on a few of the more "feelings" statements...

I hope more people start adding in journaling because I do think that 10,20,30, or more years from now, either they, or someone else, will wish they did. I just hope the "feelings" part doesn't prevent people from doing so. Just the facts is just fine, IMO!!! (I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes who don't journal and like it that way. there are certainly different styles for different people.. and certainly places that no journaling is so striking.. just my 2 cents on the topic..)

Karen

[jennk]

I do some pages without journaling, letting the pictures tell the story. For others I just have to write down the story behind the pictures so I won't forget. With my kids I usually journal, unless it is a page to show how they have grown or something. I know I won't remember all the cute things they do.

Jenn

[Laurel Lakey]

Ahh! I need to journal more! That's why I'm trying to make it to dinny's journaling class this Thursday--I need help doing it. I really never think of my layouts with journaling already designed in them. I usually have to find a spot to put journaling when I know it's something I want to put in there. I guess I just need to start designing layouts in my head with journaling spots ready for me, lol!

[linds01]

I am trying to get more into journalling as I know it's something I should really do (especially with my terrible memory), but I do feel very self conscious about what I write. Even when I just keep to the bare facts it tends to sound very droney and uninteresting if you know what I mean (we did this, then this happened). I really wish I had a way with words like my brother does - he has just written a v. amusing blog about his trip to china which would be good enough to put in a travel guide.

[AngRoCamp]

DeeZee, on Apr 30 2005, 05:55 AM, said:

some of my layouts I plan to do a second page with "the story" rather than schmutz up the layout on which I worked so hard to get the look I want. That way I can have both ... now just to get around to doing that second page!

That's a really good idea! Kind of like a story book that has illustrations on one page and the story on the opposing page. I do think it's so very, very important to include the stories behind most photos, but sometimes the LO really is a work of art that you just don't want to mess up with lots and lots of words An extra page to tell the story is a great idea!

[Monika]

Since I love writing, the journaling comes a lot easier for me than the design. It's hard for me not to tell a story...or to even choose pictures that don't have a meaningful story behind them. I really like the idea of having one page focusing on the LO and the next page focusing on the story.

I can't wait to sit down with my Grandma and record all her stories about the pictures in her photo album. She has names and dates written down, but the stories are only in her memory. Her picture book will be so much more interesting for generations to come when we get those stories written down!

[caprimom]

I guess I am a natural when it comes to journaling. As someone previously said, the journaling is the easy part but the design is a bit trickier. I kind of naturally assume I will journal for a LO so when I start designing I automatically look for places for text.

I actually want to work on LOs with little to no journaling--they are quite striking and artistic, but I always be a person who primarily journals.

[katiedidit]

I will lots of times plan a two (or more) page layout, keeping one page for most of the journaling. Or I might create a pocket or a small envelope to hold the journaling after I've printed my page. That way the 'historical' info is there, it's just not part of the layout.

[AZTechnoScrapper]

I go both ways. Sometimes, just a title and a date will be enough to support a poignant photo. On the other hand, I've scrapped a poem where photo became an artistic background that I wrote over. Having said this, I do try to write as much as I can. In 30 years, I want to remember why I took the time to scrap something!

[thecroppincow]

Sometimes I have the when I have the perfect shot, I don't do any journaling at all.... as they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.

[gaillovely]

After reading this very long thread, I think it comes down to purpose... some pages are there to tell a story, others to showcase an image, some to serve as a creative outlet, some to share emotions, some to document an event or happening, and others to entertain... the trick is to meet our needs today and the needs of a potential "audience" in the future - maybe tomorrow, maybe in 50 years....

I believe there is no WRONG way -

That being said, I do not want to leave my children or THEIR children with boxes of CDs or files or pictures of unknown people in unknown places at unknown times to puzzle about... I want to try to create reminders of who we are at each moment in time, the places, people, things, ideas and events which are important to us now or may be interesting in the future.

It was only after the deaths of my in-laws that I realized how much I didn't know about their younger lives, their everyday lives, their hopes, their dreams, their children as children, and so forth... I am trying to capture some of that for my children and their eventual wives and children and so forth... with this goal in mind I am trying to capture the BIG things (like vacations, graduations, etc) AND the little things (like my husband cooking fried pork chops as a treat) and sometimes how I feel about things... and sometimes I also take the time to "show off" my photography or creativity just BECAUSE!

So all this rambling is my way of saying JUST DO IT! ANY scrapbook will send forward through time your values and your interests... more than a box of photos or CDs ever will!

Sorry this is so long!

Gail