PDS047 – Becoming a Good Storyteller

 Felt like the episode topic time was so short! :) Thanks for all the tips on journaling…I think everyone has to evaluate why they scrapbook…which then informs if they might journal or not…etc…Because it all depends on your purpose!  

Good Morning, I really enjoyed today’s show. I have never been a diary keeper. But with the internet I have really embraced blogging and with digital photography I have also embraced metadata, another form of journaling right? So anyway, I really enjoy blogging.

When you asked about excercises that get you motivated to write, I thought about prompts. Scrapbooking has taught be about the art of prompts. Journaling also does not have to be essay style. I like bullet points or just putting down the date, location and city or something of that sort. Sometimes it’s more pleasing to the eye to read bullet points or a small label with the date. That works for me. It didn’t work for my Master’s thesis unfortunately. LOL

The reason this show is so timely for me, however, is that I just turned 40 on May 17th. Shhhhh. I really wanted to find a way to capture how I felt about this impending chapter/decade. So in early April I announced on my blog that I would do a countdown to 40 starting with 10 days to go. (Kind of like New Year’s Eve LOL). I turned the blog feature in Facebook on so that everytime I post to my blog, it automatically posts to my FB wall.

Well Countdown to 40 was such a hit. I got some great feedback about my reflective process and really made people (women specifically) feel really good about growing older and embracing where we are in life. Some of the comments were so touching. My dad even commented and got me a little teary eyed. My husband is throwing me a dinner party on Saturday and I have created a photo guest book for guests to sign. However, there will be enough space in the book (I got the Fancy Pants brag book – my pick of the week) to include not only the 11 posts to the countdown (I included day 0, my bday) along with the comments and emails I received from my friends on Facebook. So not only will there be my own journaling but i’ll also have other people’s words and journaling in the book (making my virtual stock go up, hahaha).

I’ve talked too much already but if you are moved to do so, check out my blog and the Countdown to 40 series at http://www.brooklyngirlnextdoor.blogspot.com. Thanks again for another great show.

Sincerely,
Rosann
AKA 40 and Fabulous

 I’ve been wondering where you’ve been Linda!  Welcome back!

I agree, if you scrapbooking for the art of it, you might not care as much about the story telling process of it all!

Great topic and episode!

I have found that listening to the Digi Show and Roundtable makes mundane tasks so much more enjoyable!  From cleaning to cooking to scraping wallpaper to data entry, your show powers me through it all.  Thank you!

 Okay, I’m back! :) Thoroughly enjoyed this episode (as previously mentioned, the panel RAWKS) also because of the topic: I’m extremely passionate about journaling in scrapbook layouts, and it is in large part to both Peppermint and Sara (and her partner-in-crime, Crystal). I think in my first year and a half of scrapping I hardly did any journaling at all except to perhaps put what one of my editor-bosses calls “flag-draped coffin captions”–in other words, describe exactly what you see in the photo, with no other insight or thoughts. 

Obviously, I’ve changed since then, and it’s really come out in plenty of my pages this year. Sara put forth the question of WHY scrapbook in Plantyourstory.com, and I replied that now, it’s to honor my relationships. A lot of my pages are my thoughts, musings, and random irreverent stream-of-consciousness ramblings about my husband, my siblings, my parents, and my friends. There are more “all about me” pages. (I’ve started a series of monthly faves similar to Lynnette’s) All in all, I really treasure the pages I’ve done this year. It’s like a visual snapshot or journal about what was important to me. 

I totally agree with Peppermint about how it all “enriches the entire experience” and Sara saying to focus on my story. My point of view tends to change from page to page, and I’ll admit that often I overthink about what to say and how to say it. The whole concept of letting go of the audience and just being authentic hit home! (so thank you, Sara!) 

Lastly, about exercises to help out with journaling, one of the BEST products I’ve ever come across is the Grow with Love series by Sara Gleason and Crystal Livesay. The prompts let me really delve into what I’m thinking and feeling. They give me focus, they let me feel the feelings, and somehow, they bring forth the story I want to tell. It’s freaky–and awesome at the same time :)

Gah, I didn’t mean to make this a novel of a comment! One last question though–I live on the other side of the world, but I’d love to leave a voicemail for you guys for your next episode. Can I call the phone number through Skype? Or will I have to pay a phone charge or some kind? Thanks for answering in advance! –Lex

I just want to say that I love my Intuos 4! I bought a Wacom Tablet (cheaper than the Bamboo, not recomended!) and did not use until I took Jessica Sprauges pen tablet class. After the first lesson I threw my mouse away and I have never seen it since.

I have problems with my fingers, hands and arms and I find the tablet much less straining when using it for a long time.

The tablet is priceless when doing extractions, brush work and photo editing, and I would totally recomend it. It does take time to get used to though, and taking a class made all the difference to me! I miss it so much when I don’t have it with me, even if I’m just blog hopping because I have the different buttons programed with my most used short cuts (I have done this for all the different programs I use).

Thanks for yet another great show!

Siri

Julie. I love that idea. I have been trying to figure out how to chronicle this year and I love that. I may have to be a copy cat. Did you share your list anywhere,  your blog perhaps. 

Yes! I knew it was Katy that gave the site. I have been trying to figure it out for the last couple weeks. I even mentioned it on the paperclipping coments for a viewer, but couldn’t remember the website.

Peppermint- Kindle is prioprietary, but this summer they are supposed to partner with libraries like the other e-readers, so you can read library books on them. Also, you can get the kindle app on your android and pc to read any books you download from amazon. You can also loan books out to anyone else that has the kindle or kindle app for two weeks. I’m not getting one until they for sure loan ebooks from the local libraries. I don’t buy books unless they are absolute favorites. I don’t usually reread them, so I refuse to purchase them.

 I just have to say a huge thank you for an awesome show! I’ve always journaled on my pages, but in the beginning it was mostly just the “must haves” – date & place. Now I make a point to write more about the photos and the story behind them on most of my pages. After all, the number 1 reason why I scrapbook is to tell and preserve our stories. I know not everyone feels the same about their scrapbooking, but thank you for having such a wonderful and informative show for those of us who love journaling (and those who want to do it more!).

It is a toll free number, I think Melissa S said she was able to leave a voicemail through Skype and it was free.

Also… a question about backing digi supplies up on EHD.  Do you use any sort of software that knows what is new and just that’s copied over… or do you just delete the folder you copied originally and then drag your new folder onto the EHD?!? Does my question even make sense?  I’ve also considered the Flickr Pro account for my pictures rather than Shutterfly (although I’ll probably do both because I love the ease of ordering stuff off Shutterfly, but I would like to ability to download original size pics from Flickr wherever I am)… do you think it would be possible to upload digi supplies to Flickr?  Thanks! Love the show!

Kathy — I’m “catching up” on the shows too and just seeing this, so maybe someone has already answered this, but any way . . .

I write my journaling in notepad or word too. It usually percolates there and gets a few goings-over before I’m ready to move it to my scrapbook page. The easiest way to copy it then is to select it (CTRL A on a PC), copy it (CTRL C) then click over to your PSE document, and making sure you have your text tool selected, you can draw a text box the size and location you want your journaling. Position the cursor in one corner, click and drag to the opposite corner just as you would with the marquee or shape tool. When you’ve got the box drawn the cursor will be in the upper left corner and all you have to do is paste your text in (CTRL V). That way it will wrap your text, save your hard returns, etc. Hope this helps!