Scrapbooking For Healing

Scrapbooking For Healing

When we think of scrapbooking, often times we think of albums that focus on births, weddings, holidays and special events in our lives that we want to preserve. These are days that bring smiles to our faces and laughter to our hearts. As normal as this may be to choose such occasions for our scrapbooking projects, sometimes we miss out on a chance to use our creative outlet to express our thoughts and feelings about those challenging moments in our lives that are inevitable.

When we stop and think about the pain we have gone through, whether through the loss of a loved one or any other traumatic event, these are all part of what forms us into the people we have become. So often we choose to disguise our problems instead of embracing them to discover the hidden treasures that are often overlooked.

Immediately after the birth of my daughter, I was diagnosed with severe post-partum depression. My difficult marriage that was riddled with chaos was coming to an end. The situations that led me to the place of complete desolation were overwhelming at best. As part of my recovery, I began to journal my thoughts and feelings about each event that happened. What began as an struggle to sort through the pain, changed into a complete visual exhibit of raw emotion and the spiritual journey that accompanied my experiences. Although not your average scrapbook album, it is one that played a significant role for me in finding peace and healing.

Piecing it all together with photographs, carefully selected decorative paper and just the right stamping and embellishments gave each painful memory a sense of validity. It was like lifting a mirror up to my injured heart and saying, 'Yes, that is what I felt. Right or wrong, good or bad. These emotions are mine.' To be able to openly expose myself this way and to have a visual memorial has made it easier to let go of the pain, forgive and move toward healing.

My scrapbook album, titled 'A Journey Through Life's Challenges' does not sit on my coffee table out on display. Instead, it sits on the shelf in my office, waiting for times, sometimes through tears, when I need a reminder of where I've been to truly value where I am today.

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