Why I Handwrite My Journaling

When I first started scrapbooking 5 years ago, I thought layouts looked better with typed journaling. I originally thought it looked nicer and many of the inspiration books I studied generally only had typed journaling, but after awhile, I began to feel that something was missing from my layouts. It didn't feel like me. It lacked that "Josh"-thing, if that makes sense.

Because I felt the layouts weren't totally reflecting my full personality, I decided that I would no longer do any typed journaling. It was all going to be handwritten only. For the most part, I like my handwriting. It's neat and clean when I want it to be. Even when it gets a bit sloppy, I know it's me. I see my scrapbooks as telling my story, and part of that is reflected in my handwriting. My scrapbooks have become sort of a real journal for me.

When I go back and look at early layouts and those I have created recently, I find myself happier with the layouts that contain my handwriting.

How does everyone feel about typed versus handwritten journaling?

I do a mix of printed and handwritten journaling. It depends on how much I have to journal. I started handwriting more when I came across some memorabilia that my grandmother left behind. I was thrilled to see her handwriting on the back of photos, on recipe cards, and in notes that she left behind. I love seeing her handwriting. It's as though she's still with me.

I have always used both..by hand much more

Prefer typed. There are some people with beautiful handwriting and if I had beautiful handwriting, I would write on my pages, but I am very embarrassed by my handwriting and never write anything by hand.

At the doctors office my husband fills out all forms because he says they would never be able to read my handwriting.

Worst of all, I can't read a word of what I wrote 5 minutes later.

When I go to the grocery store, I always come home with things missing because I can't read the items on my grocery list that I wrote an hour before.

My pages are mostly travel pages with background history on everything we see as well as personal diary worked in so there is a lot of journaling!

I think it all depends on how people feel about their handwriting as to what works best for them. If I had to use my own handwriting I would not enjoy scrapbooking. It would be tense and stressful for me, anytime I have to write anything out in my handwriting, it is stressful.

My husband says I should have been a doctor! My writing always looks like a doctors writing on a prescription.

I'm left handed.
No matter what I do, right-handed people's handwriting always look nicer.
Screw 'em. I'm gonna keep using a pen.

I love hand written journaling though have experimented with both for various LO's. With my Mom having passed very young, I treasure her writing on recipe cards and other writings.
I think it is a more personal touch to my page.
A type written is fine though if one chooses.

Handwriting is a dieing art. There are teens out there that cannot read it. If your hand writing is decent I say do it. Mine is decent enough and I alternate.

Babies By Southgirl
But it is mostly hand written. It is nice to see relatives writing.

Angel1 my daughter was left handed and she had a very neat hand writing. I don't know how she did it.

I use both, but my handwriting in not always legible. Scrapbooking, IMO, should reflect you and your style.

If you love your "typewriter" journaling . . . then that's you. If you always reach for a certain technique . . . it's you.

Scrapbooking is also a journey of your creativity and how it evolves. If someone were to "study" my pages, they would probably deduce that I struggle with journaling in general, whether it's typed or handwritten.

I think it's fun to go back and "study" your own work. Your favorite pages are most likely a reflection of your best style(s) all coming together.

I do a mixture of handwritten and computer journaling. Best of both worlds for me.

I usually put some minor hand written notes on the front of the page itself, but for the back story behind the photo and the details of the event, I do a lengthy typed journal which I then adhere to the back of the page itself.

That way, I have a little of both - my handwriting on the front, and the story on the back.

I do both...I love the look of the typed journaling but I also like to add my own handwriting for posterity. Ironically, I have fairly nice handwriting until I try to use it for journaling and then it just looks messy and disjointed. Maybe I try too hard...I don't know, but I do like the typed look best for own pages.

I do both, but I think it is more handwriting. I love to see my mom's handwriting on old recipes and cards and it brings back so nice memories ( she died in 2003) that I think maybe my kids would love to see my handwriting on their layouts when I am gone.

I do mostly typed journaling, I can get a lot more of the story in a smaller space for the front of my layout. With the options for printing fonts I can use a wide array of styles.... some to fit the theme of the page. I very seldom do hidden journaling ... the people that look at my albums now hardly take the time to read what is on the front let alone look for any other journaling that is on the back or hidden. Granted they may find it once I am gone, then again they may not!!

Most often I dislike how my handwriting looks on a page, how it slopes, how it looks like there was not enough room to say what I wanted to say, how I mess up the message even when I have it pre-written in front of me.....

I do almost all printed journaling. I tend to include a lot of text (like Henri, that's an important part of the page for me) and even when I've handwritten just a date or small phrase, it just makes the whole page not right to me. I always sign and date the backs of the LOs. There is still handwriting included if I add a scanned document, recipe, list, etc. to the LO. Sometimes I'll scan something that's handwritten and print it out for the background paper. (I love my wide format printer!) I like all the font choices available when printing text.

I totally understand what you are saying and I agree. That said, I hate my handwriting and after spending all of the time on a page, I just can't take a chance!!!!
but sometimes, I write on the back of the layout..! or on a hidden tag on the front of a layout!

Judy brought up something I had not thought about. Even though I refuse to write anything on my layouts in my handwriting, occasionally scan and use something, like a recipe, that has notes in my handwriting and put them in a scrapbook. Its rare, but it is in there!

I just want posterity to realize that I really do know how to write more than just my name. :>) They might have to do some searching, but eventually should find a few tidbits of my handwriting on a few added items. lol