There are many wonderful gift options to let people know how special they are in your life.
Cards, flowers, and candy come in all sizes with varying price tags. But if you want to personalize your gift with heartfelt images and messages, create a Journal of Love!
What's a Journal of Love? 💖
A Journal of Love is a meaningful gift any time of year; no special occasion is needed. They can be for your sweetheart, special friends, family members, or memorializing someone who has passed. It's a Journal of Appreciation intended for someone who has played an important role in your life.
Your heart will lead you to the perfect time, place, and person. Just like sharing kindness or gratitude, this journal is as beneficial to you, the maker, as it is to the recipient.
How do you make a Journal of Love?
Step #1: Memory and Idea Dump
Before you even start the actual steps of creating, you need to get all of your ideas out on paper.
Use the recipient’s name as your heading. List everything that comes to mind when you think about that person. Think about significant memories and key reasons they’re so special to you. List characteristics & habits, events, shared memories, and things you admire about them. The little moments and observations are as important as the big ones, so list everything.
This part of the project shouldn't be rushed. Your best ideas and memories will surface only when you've allowed time to write. Don't worry about categorizing right away. I usually start with my disposable journal or post-it notes that can be grouped as thoughts come to mind.
*This is a perfect journaling example of the importance of involving all 5 senses. Play music that reminds you of the person inspiring your journal. Think of a snack or beverage that fits your memories. Diffuse inspirational oils like Joy, Gratitude, Rosemary, Believe, or Dream Catcher to stir memories. As you work, think about the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings that you connect with those memories. and you'll open up a new deeper level of descriptive details to build on.
Step #2: List & Gather Options for Ephemera, photos, and miscellaneous items
Start thinking of images that fit with the points on your list. For example, if a memory includes playing cards, you might want an image of cards, an actual playing card, a piece of paper with the rules to your game, an image of the game, food or beverages that are usually part of the experience, a photo taken at the event, candy wrapper from the events, etc.
For this journal style, the items you gather should be flat or with very little depth. If an important item is too large to put in a journal or no longer exists, think about creating a version that would fit into your journal. You might need to retake a photo, recreate a ticket stub, go online to find an image of the location or draw a picture that would symbolize your memory.
If you’re uncomfortable with your art skills, use your computer and download images that fit. Look through magazines and other resources for fitting images, words, and phrases to cut & paste.
If you're new to collage, I'd recommend taking a few minutes to read two of our previous posts. It will help you relax and enjoy this fun process.
Step #3: Purchase or Make a Blank Journal
For the Journal of Love, I actually prefer a purchased blank book journal. I think my reasoning is more sentimental than necessary for the project. I was fortunate to have stumbled onto a set of blank, hard-covered golden books in a clearance area and fell in love! Those blank books are what inspired my first books, so I've stuck with them.
Any blank journal (purchased or homemade) would work. You'll want a journal with at least 10-25 pages. A heavier text weight or drawing paper with a nice finish that will hold up for drawing or attaching your ephemera. These papers also give you a little more freedom to use markers or specialty pens without fear that they’ll soak through and damage what you attached to the backside.
Step #4: Start Planning and Grouping.
As you brainstorm your project, watch for similarities or natural themes for grouping your ideas.
To help me organize, I looked at the total number of pages to see how the groupings might fit. Plan one page for the title or dedication page and one for the final closing. If you have 10 pages (20 surfaces) that leaves 18 surfaces for content. In your working journal, lay out a rough plan of how you see things fitting together. Some of your thoughts might need a two-page spread or an entire section.
Bring any miscellaneous papers, art supplies, and your ephemera together and sort into themes with your words. I like a mix of collaged items and my artwork. This doesn't have to be fancy. I use a quick doodle-type sketch for my books, much like I would if I were writing a letter and adding a quick sketch in the margin. You decide what best fits your Journal of Love.
Step #5: Assembling
New ideas will pop up as you work. Follow your heart and creative mind. Enjoy the process.
When you’re ready to add text, speak from your heart! You have a couple of creative options if you’re uncomfortable with your handwriting. Play with fonts in Word documents or see what text you might find in magazines or books. I highly recommend including at least some of your handwriting because this is such a personal gift. This isn’t about perfection.
Shereen LaPlantz, friend and author of many publications and books including Cover to Cover, always said, "Make sure you include a special little surprise." If you look closely at the images in this article, you'll notice many items are attached by hinging or book-binding folds. The ability to unfold or lift a flap always provides an immediate curiosity and opportunity for a surprise!
Beyond the benefits experienced by the receiver, creating a Journal of Love impacts the creator with hard-to-measure gifts. Though at times light-hearted and silly, these heartfelt creations have been some of the most important words, images, and loving sentiments I've shared in my lifetime. From concept to completion, the process is a gift. Enjoy another level of benefits from journaling.💝
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