Scrapbooking Intro
The creative field needs constant fueling, and scrapbooking is a great way to ignite your imagination. By the end of the blog post, you’ll understand what scarpbooking it and some ideas to start you off.
Scrapbooking Nostalgia
Various studies have led researchers to conclude that scrapbooking promotes nostalgia for past memories and encourages connection with others.
According to the scholarly article by the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, “Creative Nostalgia: Social and Psychological Benefits of Scrapbooking,”
“Scrapbooking one’s personally nostalgic memories could be considered a form of storytelling, which is a key component of art therapy, as it promotes self-exploration, resolves trauma, and forges social connections.”
As you can see, creating scrapbooks helps individuals who wish to share their memories and souvenirs with loved ones. The very act promotes deeper thinking and reminds us of what has impacted our lives.
Benefits of Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is not only a way to revisit memories, but also much more. When you are in a creative rut, looking at the past can spark new ideas. Additionally, collaboration is highly encouraged during or after the process.
When scrapbooking, you can communicate thoughts and feelings that might otherwise be hard to express to others.
According to the Therapeutic Recreation Journal’s article “Scrapbooking as an Intervention to Enhance Coping in Individuals Experiencing Grief and Loss,”
“Scrapbooking is a normalizing, supportive, nonthreatening, and meaningful activity for individuals experiencing grief and loss that can help them regain a sense of control in their lives.”
Think about it, you are creating a personalized journal of memories and new ideas.
Creative Writers Using Scrapbooking
When you wish to start a new project, it can be a great idea to journal, read, experience art, and scrapbook. If you are starting a new project, looking at past memories can help you unlock different perspectives, themes, locations, and ideas.
Not only that, scrapbooking can be a great creative outlet. You have the opportunity to explore various aspects of your next writing piece and expand new ideas.
How Scrapbooking Works
There are a couple of steps you need to take to properly set up your next scrapbooking page.
1. Supplies
Firstly, you’ll need to gather supplies and create your first page.
Supplies:
- Large blank journal
- Markers, colored pencils, or other art supplies
- Clippings of photos (find on Google, your own photo album, or Pinterest)
- Magazine pieces (literary or artistic)
- Interesting textured pages
- Fun stickers
- Stamps or stencils
- Other decorative touches
Next, you’ll need to come up with an idea for your page. Now, normally, you would be scrapbooking memories to remember them and save your souvenirs.
For this exercise, you are going to use the same concept to help creatively develop your next writing piece. Therefore, ensure you have a starting idea.
2. Choose a Theme
Next, you’ll need to pick a theme for each page. Your scrapbook can be as organized or messy as possible, but it is also important to remember that it is beneficial to you if you stay on one topic for each page.
Such themes can help you remember your past memories or imagine an aspect of your writing project. As we transition to summer, it can be an amazing time to spend energy on creation.
3. Begin Building Your Piece
Now that you have your supplies and themes, you are able to begin. Grab some interesting textured papers or photos to begin.
Next, add some thoughts and writings to tie in your piece, and write down your ideas.
Finally, you can personalize your page with your decorative elements like tape, stickers, markers, and more.
Scrapbooking Ideas For Beginning Your Writing
Scrapbooking may seem like a random collage of trash to some. But you should be quite intentional to help spark creativity.
Here are some ideas for your first pages:
- Character names
- Working title ideas
- Plot Ideas
- Location Ideas
Scrapbooking Scenes
When you are writing a longer story, you can have scrapbook pages for each scene. In order to stay organized with the plot and the rising and falling action, create your collages on your blank pages.
Scenes to scrapbook:
- The beginning
- The hook
- The incidenting incident
- The middle
- First plot point
- Midpoint
- Third plot point
- The end
- the climax
- the resoloution
Learn more about how to format your story in the blog post below!
Scrapbooking Ideas For Characters
Scrapbooking is a great way to create character designs, as well. When creating your next character, there are a myriad of ways to organize each one’s style and persona.
Here are some scrapbooking pages to help you create your characters:
- Professions
- Costumes
- Interesting accessories
- Physical traits
- Pets
- Powers
- Catchphrases
- Hobbies
- Vocabulary
Check out the blog post below for other ways to develop your own characters!
Scrapbook Ideas for Igniting Creativity
Next, why not create pages to help you continue your motivation for creativity?
Here are some ideas for scrapbook pages to break away from your writer’s block and help your creative juices flow.
- Working out (walking, running, lifting, sports, etc.)
- Nature
- Classical music
- Art
- Books
- Live theatre
- Coloring
- Paintings
- Conversations with friends
Check out the blog post below to help you find more ways to find creativity.
Scrapbooking Ideas to Record your Authorship Journey
Lastly, try scrapbooking about your journey as a writer, what books you like, and what you wish to read.
Here are some examples:
- Favorite authors you’ve read
- Books you wish to read
- Favorite book quotes
- Favorite fictional characters
- Favorite character designs and costumes
- Favorite vocab words
- Cool illustrations
- Inspiring cover pages
- Interesting plot ideas or designs
- Interesting items, weapons, or accessories from characters
- Ideas for indelible images
Check out the blog post below to understand the meaning of indelible images!
Scrapbooking Conclusion
Now that it’s time to begin summer, start scrapbooking! Engage your nostalgia and help formulate new ideas for your next creative writing piece! It can be messy, but it should definitely be fun!
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