There isn’t much that makes me happier in scrapbooking than clean and simple pages that showcase a lovely photo and includes some thoughtful journaling complimenting the photo. But sometimes coming up with that”simple” journaling can be so challenging! For me, this often happens when I’m over thinking things, so I have to remind myself to keep it simple and reflect on what it is that makes me love the photo I’m scrapping, and what I want to tell others about that photo.

One of my journaling go-to’s when I’m in this mind block is to use a formula for simple journaling: repetition and short sentences. This is my formula for many of my layouts:

• I will start each line of my journaling with the same word or phrase.
• I will then add a few words after that phrase that conveys the message I want to share.
• I put each sentence on it’s own line and incorporate the journaling into the design of the layout.
• I find that 5-10 sentences that all start with the same phases has a nice rhythm and creates a flow that becomes an integral part of my scrapbook page.

Here is an example of what I am describing. I created a clean and simple layout with one photo and minimal elements. I started each line of my journaling with the phrase “this place”. I kept the journaling sentences centered and used it to create a linear page design.

Credits: Paislee Press Winter Vibes, One Little Bird Shimmer, One Little Bird Elysian, Amy Wolff About a Boy

Journaling doesn’t need to be lengthy to add value and interest to scrapbooking memories. Many times simple journaling using a repetitive format is very effective at conveying the message you want to share, adds visual interest and heart felt emotion to your scrapbooking pages.