A Few Thoughts on Telling Your Story

A couple weeks back, Laura posted a great question in the comments of the weekly Currently List Post

 "Question for you. I've been using your currently cards since the beginning of the year...I fill them out on Sundays, and I've been wondering: for your "watching" and "listening" and, well, basically all of them, do you try to summarize the week, or just the day you fill it out, or what? Over a week I'll have watched several different TV shows/movies, listened to several songs/artists/podcasts, etc. Actually most of the other ones I don't have a problem with, as those things have endured for the week, so it works. Any suggestions for those more fleeting activities? Thanks."

There really is no single right answer. 

But there are a couple of different approaches to take.

1. Overview: Write out the list at roughly the same time each week and try to create a general overview of the week, highlighting key things that stand out. 
2. Right Now: Write out the list at whatever times strike your fancy. Go with a 'right now' mentality, embrace the fleeting moments and write the list while answering the question, "What am I currently thinking/feeling/loving right at this moment". Really make it a snapshot of life.
3. Mixed: (This is my usual approach) Write this list at the same time on a regular basis but ask the question, "What am I currently thinking/watching/reading right at this moment".  This way you're capturing the same fleeting snapshot of life on a week to week basis. 
4. Freeform: Answer whichever questions pertain to you when you're writing out your list. If you aren't reading anything this week -- skip it. If you're Eating something special -- add that in. The Currently stamp makes it easy to make up your own list, like I did here: 

and here are a few personal thoughts about I look at the questions on a week to week basis

• I fill my list out on Thursday nights. I either write down exactly what I'm reading/watching at that specfic time unless there is something that really dominates my week
• Watching -- its usually either shows I'm actually watch on Thursday nights; or I've put show's like Revenge and Once Upon a Time; because I binge watched each of those shows during a given week
• Listening -- if there's a song that I've put on repeat; I'll use that -- or sometimes I just go with the audiobook I;m listening to before I go to bed. And if I still can't come up with something; I'll go a little bit meta; listening to: the thoughts in my head. 

How would you answer Laura's question? What's your approach to Currently? Please leave a comment below and let me know how you document your story with the Currently Journaling Cards. 

Pick up the new currently stamp and journaling cards right here in the rukristin papercrafts shop. 

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30 Days of Lists Days 1-16

March 2013

Lists 1-16

30 Days of Lists is a month-long journaling challenge aimed at getting you to write a little bit every day through fun and engaging list prompts. This is my fourth time participating in the challenge. If you'd like to learn more about 30 Days of lists you can see previous #30Lists posts here. 

List 1

List 2

List 3

List 4

List 5

List 6

List 7

List 8

List 9

List 10

List 11

List 12

List 13

List 14

List 15

List 16

30 Days of Lists is part of my One Little Word: Write for 2013. Read more about this year's One Little Word. It's never too late to embrace your own word!

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The Boy I Love

its this one...

I love him so much. I still surprise myself at how much I love him, and even more about how much  more I love him each passing day.

Background: Jeffrey and I met in the spring of 2009 while working in one of the early local US census offices in Central NJ. We quickly become outside of work friends and I spent two weeks just trying to get him to like me until he came over for dinner one night and finally kissed me. 

Why am I rambling on about this boy? Its a little weird to just be talking about this apropos of nothing; but I think its important to be genuine and I talk about him tons throughout the blog, he appears in all my project life spreads, his face is constantly on my instagram feed and he's a constant source of inspiration; so I thought it would be good if there was a place where I could explain who he is and what he means to me. 

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I'm a Pen Snob & You Should Be Too

I love writing with a pen and paper. There's just something that feels really good about putting some ink on a new page. I can let my whole mind flow freely right out through my hand; creating words and sentences; paragraphs and then stories. My One Little Word for 2013 is 'Write', and I've been looking for ways to incorporate my word into my life and to use my word as a chance to inspire others. 

It all starts by picking up that special pen. 

That special pen can be any kind of pen you want it to be -- no judgments (even if you're a ball point pen person). But your special pen should make you excited to write.

There are plenty of times where I'll get a new pen and then just make up pretend to-do lists or write 'i love you' fifty times. A pen for me is like a brand new chew toy for a puppy, I just want to play with it -- I don't even care if I'm doing it right.

Do you have that special pen that speaks to you? If not, maybe its time to find a new one. I've reviewed a couple of my favorite pens in hopes that one or two might become your favorite too. 

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An Interview with Myself. 27 Questions on my 27th Birthday

Today is my 27th birthday. One of my goals for this upcoming year is to learn how to write about myself.

I'm terrible at talking about myself. I hate bragging or boasting, so anytime I'm asked about who I am, or what I'm doing I either drastically undersell myself or clam up and don't say anything at all.

So this year, in conjunction with my One Little Word: Write; I'm going to make a promise to myself to learn to talk about myself in an open and honest way.

I'm kicking this off by interviewing myself. I know that I do much better when I'm asked specific questions. I figure if I interview myself and answer a bunch of questions, it will be one step closer to being able to clearly articulate about how I feel.

I picked out 27 of the 33 questions from this post on a blog about personal development. I'm a big believer in waking up each day and trying to make yourself a better person, so I invite you to join me on this journey of self discovery through personal writing.

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One Little Word: Write

New Year. New Goal. 

I'm usually terrible at making resolutions, or setting lofty goals with no concrete foundation to them.  But for the past several years I've held strong with my One Little Word.

Because its such a small thing, one little word that I can carry around with me all the time, its easy to mold my word to fit into so many different aspects of my life. Ali Edwards brought this challenge to life, and for that I'm very thankful.

This Year's One Little Word: Write

This year I want to write more. I want to make writing an integral part of my life. For me, my writing goals take several forms.

1. Blogging here with new content Monday-Friday each week
2. Writing my senior thesis and graduating in May 
3. Writing and journaling more on my layouts and in Project Life
4. Writing guest posts for some amazing websites
5. Writing an e-book by the end of the calendar year 

Projects fueled by my One Little Word

There are so many great projects and challenges out there on the web providing inspiration and support to those looking to better their writing and journaling skills. Here are a couple that I'm working on this year. 

I hope that you'll join me in some of these challenges. If you have any questions; please don't hesitate to contact me -- I usually respond pretty quickly.  

1. Currently 

Currently is my brand new weekly blog series starting in 2013. This project is about taking a minute out of your week to write down what is going on right now. Currently is a great journaling challenge on its own, but also fits in perfectly with Project Life. 

8 Questions. 52 Weeks. Embracing Right Now. 

2. One Year of Journaling

I'm contributing to Lemon & Raspberry's newest workshop One Year of Journaling. Amy puts together fantastic classes (30 Days of Lists) and this one is no exception. 

I'll be contributing to both One Year of Everyday and Our First Year Together. Sign up for one or both courses to get the journaling prompts sent to your email each week. Because its a self-paced course, you don't have to worry about finishing in a set time -- the prompts will be accessible forever. This is another great project to integrate into Project Life.  

Expanding Beyond my One Little Word

One of the best parts about taking on challenges like One Little Word is the community behind them. There are always new friends to make and people who are willing to help you along with your goals. I've found great communities on twitter and instagram specifically. 

What is your One Little Word for this year? What are your plans for using that word throughout the year? If you've written a blog post, I'd love to read it -- leave a link in the comments so I can check it out. 

Throughout the year I'll be tagging my 2013 One Little Word: Write related posted with write; look for more write posts coming soon.

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Join the New Year's Fun!

Happy 2013! 

I'm super excited to kick of the new year with a bunch of great new projects on the horizon. 

After long consideration, I've decided on 'Write' for my 2013 One Little Word. My goal for this year is to become a better writer; as both a blogger and a scholarly writer. I also want to inspire others to write more in their memory-keeping. Be on the look out for new posts with tips and tricks to elevate your journaling and storytelling in the new year. 

I work best when I'm organized. I'm calm, more centered, and everything just flows more naturally. The only problem is actually getting organized. Later this month I'll be showing off some great ways to organize both your crafting area and your personal/professional schedule. 

Currently is my brand new weekly blog series starting in 2013. 

8 Questions. 52 Weeks. Embracing Right Now. 

 This project is about taking a minute out of your week to write down what is going on right now.  Every Friday I'll be sharing my currently list on a 3x4 journaling card. Currently fits in perfectly with Project Life, you can download the free Currently Project Life Journaling cards and play along using the hashtag #currentlylist.  Look for new colors and seasonal cards in the shop later this month.

2013 will be my second year documenting my everyday world through Project Life. This year I want to make an effort to tell more of my day-to-day stories and inspire others to do the same. I've written extensively on several different Project Life subjects and I hope to expand even more in the upcoming months.

Coming Soon! I'll be joining the 30 Days of Lists team again this March. 30 Days of Lists is a fun month-long journaling challenge with a fantastic community. Learn more about past sessions of #30Lists or sign up for the #30Lists Newsletter. Pre-Registration starts February 4th. 

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. If you are interested in guest posting, sponsoring, or joining me on any of the above projects, please email me or click on the links above. 

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