because...they are.
Do you ever start a project and honestly do not have an idea where it is going to end up?
This is what happened with a resent 'reset' of storytelling and documenting and photos around here.
Here's what I did.
I took one of my 'unfinished projects'. I opened it. I looked at my catalog of photos that would be the next 'chronologically to tell'. Then I printed those photos. Then I crafted a page to tell the story of the photos.
No real emotion. No analysis paralysis. Just did the next thing.
And this is one of the pages that came of it. You can see how this actually played out in the video HERE. It's a flapped page. Not an original idea. As a matter of fact this page concept, including the tag element on the opposite page, came straight our of a lesson from Heidi's Swapp's Storyteller V5 videos. And I love it.
As this story was getting played out here on the page. As I gathered photos, then went back to gather more photos (because the story was literally unpacking right before me), a very, VERY obvious thing hit me. Why was I getting so excited about this story hitting the page? Why was I so excited about the photos and the images and the people in the story?
You wanna know the reason I came up with?
Because this was a great story. That's why. This story. And the photo story opposite this one. And the story that was on the preceding page. These are all great stories! None necessarily more important than another. No. It was not a measure of degree of how more important one story was to the next. Nope. Actually, the reason this here and others were great stories is because of one simple reason. You wanna know what that reason is?
The reason our stories are great is because they are OUR stories. Ha! Yep. That's it. That's all. That's as simple as it gets. While you, dear reader, may enjoy seeing this story, I wanna guess you are more excited about the product play, then the fact that this is my daughter and her senior prom and her joy and that darn gorgeous dress! But here's the thing (have you noticed there is always a 'thing' with me?)...here's the thing:
It's my story.
And that's why it's so great.
Our stories are great because they are our stories.
Gosh I love that!!!
Here is a look at this story in its double page goodness. I got lucky. These photos just went together in my opinion. But I digress...
Friends...no one is going to get as excited about your stories as you are. Not even the subjects that may be in said stories. This ritual we scrapbookers have of taking photo + pages and lovingly placing the photos on the page and adding the pretty stuff and then most importantly the words, it's an almost holy ritual. It's a meditative practice, in many instances. I have written about that before. And as stated in the video that goes with this layout, what you have when it is all done is a very tangible something in your hands to show for your love of your great story.
And that, in and of itself, is just why we continue to tell our story.
Beautiful! Love the sentiment about being excited about your own stories.
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