Scrapbooking For Healing
Scrapbooking For Healing
When we consider scrapbooking, often times we think of albums that focus on weddings, births, 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 natural as this may be to choose such occasions for our scrapbooking projects, sometimes we miss out on an opportunity 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 suffered, whether through physical injury or any other traumatic event, these are all part of what molds us into the people we have become. So often we choose to disguise our pain instead of embracing them to search for the hidden treasures that are often overlooked.
Shortly after the birth of my daughter, I was diagnosed with severe post-partum depression. My troubled marriage that was filled with chaos was coming to an end. The occasions that led me to the place of complete desolation were overwhelming at best. As part of my recovery, I began to write down my thoughts and feelings about each event that occurred. What began as an struggle to sort through the pain, developed into a whole visual expression of raw emotion and the spiritual journey that accompanied my experiences. Although not your typical scrapbook album, it is one that played a vital role for me in finding peace and healing.
Compiling it all together with photographs, carefully selected scrapbook paper and just the right stamping and embellishments gave each painful memory a sense of validation. It was like lifting a mirror up to my bruised heart and saying, 'Yes, that is what I felt. Right or wrong, good or bad. These emotions are mine.' To be able to openly express 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 bookshelf in my office, waiting for moments, sometimes through tears, when I need a reminder of where I've been to truly appreciate where I am today.
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