Mini Challenge: Putting Pen to Paper

I have always loved to write.  In my school days, if you asked me my favorite thing to do, I would have said write.  I loved essay questions, research papers and creative writing assignments.  I even wrote a short children's book for a college class.



I come from a family of writers.  My Paternal Grandmother was a teacher and wrote a column for the newspaper...my Grandpop was a journalist, an editor and taught journalism classes.  My Maternal Grandfather was a naturalist who wrote down books full of notes and jewels of insights.  Many of them have been published in a local newspaper.  Writing has been a natural part of my life.  Until I started scrapbooking.  Suddenly I have nothing to say.  I am trying to tell our story and I have no words.  Why is it so hard?  I find myself giving rote information and missing the essence of the story.  Well, no more.  This lover of pencils ( I will admit it.  School supplies make me happy) and maker of lists is getting back to my writing roots with this challenge.  Hopefully it will stick with me and help add soul to the way I create.

Before I tell you the challenge, check out this video:  True Stories  

 Now we are not taking her class...and our challenge will not last so long, but  it will be hard.  I promise you that some of you will just want to skip it.   But it will be oh, so worth it.  It is time to stop hiding behind patterned paper, photos and pretty embellishments.   

Mini Challenge:  Do a layout with NO PICTURES.  Only Journaling.  It can be about anything you want, but focus on using words to tell your story.  And let's get back to basics.  I want this to be a handwritten challenge.  So no computers.  You can use:

Or

I cherish the letters that I have saved from my Grandmother and Susie, a dear friend, who have both passed away.  It is important that we pass that piece of ourselves onto our loved ones.  Because of that, I try to always have my handwriting on layouts.  Do I have the best handwriting in the world?  No.  But my family won't care years from now. 

Link your layout for the "Putting Pen to Paper" Mini Challenge to the Mister Linky for February (found here... http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/02/mister-linky-for-february-2011.html )  to be entered in the random drawing for a FREE Scraps of Darkness Kit from February 2011!