Are you absent from your albums? The silent narrator who never appears? We should change that.

I should be working on Christmas cards right now but I’ve been thinking about this post for some time, so it must need to get out.  😉

I have an album devoted to pages about myself, my childhood, my goals, my thoughts, etc. It reads like a journal sometimes (in fact, it may be a sign that I need an art journal …) but I like that it’s become a place where I can talk to myself. If you’ve never put yourself front and centre on a page, here are a few ideas.

Scrap a Favourite Quote

If you haven’t watched Brene Brown‘s TED talks, please do it it now. I will be here when you get back … In her vulnerability talk, she said, “Courage, the original definition, of courage, when it first came into the English language – it’s from the Latin word cor, meaning heart – and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.”

Tell the story of who you are with your whole heart.

Man, that gets me. It sends chills down my spine. I now have that layout on a bulletin board in front of my scrap table.

Scrapbook your Thoughts

Journal your thoughts about yourself, your life, your journey, your plans, your dreams. Your family will want to know these things!

Scrapbook your Achievements

If something is important to you, it should be in your albums. Think about something you are proud of yourself for finishing. Is it represented on a page?

Scrapbook your Favourite Things

I was amazed at how much I had to journal about Les Mis. My fascination with the show began a long time ago and it felt good to get that story out.

Scrapbook your Ink

Okay, I know this is not relevant to everyone but my kids are too young to ask what my tattoos mean to me. They may ask when they are older, but even if they don’t, the meaning and relevance these pieces have to me is recorded.

What personal stories have you told in your layouts? What stories do you think I missed?