words + photos : friday + weekend creative

The project this weekend is to create a layout using only words + photos. Maybe one other embellishment? That part is completely up to you.

What is a story you have been wanting to tell?

Remember this photo from earlier in the week?

That photo + words printed out on textured cardstock + a bit of ruler ribbon (and a smidge of ink) =

[ cardstock: Bazzill; font: Avenir; ruler ribbon: Papier Valise; ink: Stampin Up; date stamp: Staples ]

Here's a couple things that ran through my mind as I was putting this page together:

1. Use journaling as a chance to speak to your audience. In my case my audience is often Simon. I write as if I was talking with him, telling him the story. This is real language and more personal.

2. Remember that there are lots of different ways to get words onto a page: handwriting, type, stamping, letter stickers, typewriter, etc.

3. Don't forget a date. Man, this is such an easy thing to forget. I scanned this layout in before realizing it was missing the date. Depending on the story I am telling I may include that date I wrote the jouranling as well as the dates for the photos (in this case they were the same).

4. Maybe my next ten layouts will be as simple as this and maybe not. Bringing yourself back to these basics for a bit and then moving forward gives you perspective once again. So worth the effort.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind comments this week. It has been cool to delve deeper into the real heart of scrapbooking. Going through the process of gathering all the content has solidified my belief in the power of words + photos. They are what truly matter to me in the long run.

There is also something very powerful about the process of creativity. I was reminded this week that there are so many different ways to be creative.

Focusing energy on words + photos is a creative act. My creativity comes into play big time when I take photos (setting up the shot, following the emotion, capturing moments that otherwise go by in an instant) and when I sit down to write the story.

Again, thanks you for your interest and time this week!

[ The full words + photos series can be found here: monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday. ]