Journaling: In your own words | Becky Novacek

Why is journaling on your layouts so important to you? I always go back to my experience with my mom. She was in a debilitating car accident when I was in my early 20s, and lost the ability to speak or communicate. When I find something in her handwriting and especially heartfelt notes she wrote, it means SO much to me. I just think that journaling and particularly in your own handwriting is vitally important. It’s so personal and such a tangible piece of you that you can leave for your loved ones.
Does every layout you create contain journaling? Yes, even if it’s short and sweet. I would rather have a handwritten sentence than a title…if I had to pick : )
What do you find most difficult about journaling? I have to be prepared to feel emotion. It’s rare that I journal and don’t feel something. Plus, I try to remember to go a little deeper than basic facts. I know that my words are a legacy to my loved ones and I don’t want to stay just on the surface all the time. Sometimes that’s fine, but I think you need to go a little deeper to the emotion if you really want to “say” something to your family.
Take us through your journaling process: Journaling is always the last thing that I do on a page, other than maybe a little machine stitching. As I put a layout together, I try to think about what I will say or sometimes I’ve already journaled in a notebook what I want to say about certain photos/events. If I’m going to be writing a lot, I will jot it down in a notebook, so that I know that I have room, but many times, I just start writing right on the page. Sometimes, if I make a mistake, it forces me to be even more creative and find a way to cover up my boo-boo and do something “out of the box”.
Supply List: Journaling Labels: Elle’s Studio; Pattern Papers: October Afternoon, Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin, KI Memories; Stickers: October Afternoon, American Crafts; Vintage Ledger Paper; Black Thread for machine stitching; Gems; Tools: Fiskars Flower Punch, Fiskars Pinking Scissors
ABOUT BECKY: She was always drawn to paper and photos, so when Becky Novacek was first exposed to scrapbooking, she was hooked. In 2004, life changed and paper crafts became much more than a hobby, it became a daily creative endeavor. Although life has changed yet again, and now photography plays an important role in her life, she still finds time to scrapbook and play with paper. Becky has been published in BHG Scrapbooks Etc, Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbook Trends, Memory Makers, Cards, Legacy, Somerset and back in the day, Autumn Leaves Books. Currently, Becky serves on the design teams for Jenni Bowlin and Fiskars, and is honored to be guest designing this month for Hambly Studios.

Becky lives in Fremont, Nebraska with her husband Tom. They have 4 grown, married children and 8 grandchildren. She enjoys photography, paper crafts, flea marketing, reading, lunching with friends and spending Sunday afternoons in the summer around the pool with her whole family.

You can visit Becky’s site and blog, here!

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