Part of my exploration of fonts for my updated logo led me to really think about the weighting we give fonts and the words written in those fonts. After this exploration, I used my two logo fonts in a project for the Find Your Voice workshop I'm contributing to. With the fonts, I created I AM photo labels.
We all know that words have power. Often, in childhood, we're called names that are hurtful. When we're embarking on a new adventure, friends and family maybe more confident in our skills than we are; their words bolster us. Like fonts, the words we use to define ourselves are personal.
With this project, I wanted to capitalize on compliments and turn hurtful words and phrases on their head. I wanted to be intentional in how I was labeling myself. Describing myself with positives rather than negatives.
The Inspiration for My Project
First, a little context about my inspiration for the I AM labels. Our creative call-to-action for Week 5 of the Find Your Voice workshop instructed us to find a project with someone's style we really admire and emulate. The project I chose was the Currently cards Kristin of Rukristin Papercrafts uses with Project Life.
Choosing How I Label Myself
With the Currently cards in mind, I revisited my project from Week 2. As part of my Who I Am exercise, I took photos that represented me and pinned them to a vintage hanger. I used these photographs with the I AM labels.
For each photograph, I wrote down what bullies, friends, and family had said to or about me after "They say" -- both positive and negative words. I then wrote down how I describe myself in the same situation or for the same character trait after "I say" -- both positive and negative words. After I had both Their viewpoint and My viewpoint, I reflected on any differences between what "They say" and what "I say". Finally, I wrote down an adjective or a noun that described Who I Am. This I AM sentence is meant to be positive or empowering.
The labels visually represent which words should have more power in your life. Any negative comments people have made or negative thoughts you have had follow a script font, they are more permeable, said in passing often without thought as to how they could hurt. The words on the card that have more power follow "I AM" written in a strong bold font. These are words you've thought about and chosen consciously for yourself. Think of the fonts as a whisper versus a shout.
As Kristin's Currently project is a 52-week project that she started in January of this year, I'm not sure how she's planning on using the cards in her scrapbooking. In Week 2, she included her card along side photos from a trip Jeffrey and she took to California.
I decided to take the same approach with my I AM photo label, placing the one I'd put together to own the mismatch between how others saw me at Alt and how I saw myself. (For me, it was a really big deal to go up to Susan of Freshly Picked and carry on an actual conversation.)
Placing the I AM labels on a page next to the photo where others could see, versus affixing the label to the back of the photo, felt uncomfortable at first and definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone. After a few minutes having the label visible in the scrapbook felt right and more authentic than hiding it. I definitely think that I'll be including an I AM label in my digital photo albums and scrapbooks going forward. I'm also considering starting a 52-week long I AM project.
Join us This Summer for a Free Storytelling Workshop
If you've been searching for your voice, I highly recommend joining us for the 2015 Find Your Voice Workshop, starting Wednesday July 1st 2015. To get a taste of what to expect, check out some of the projects I completed for the inaugural workshop in 2013:
- Week 1: Introduction - I decorated my project binder.
- Week 2: Who Are You? - I repurposed a vintage skirt hanger as a mood board.
- Week 4: What is Your Storytelling Style - I created a photo memoir box.
- Week 5: - I made I AM photo labels.
Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.
