Tag: MindfulScrapbooking

The Stories We Forget to Tell: Remembering the Quiet Wins
creative expression · Creative Rituals · creative wellness · Everyday Joy · Healing through art · visual storytelling

The Stories We Forget to Tell: Remembering the Quiet Wins

Tina Biornstad-SzafranskiLeave a comment

We’re often taught to document big achievements—graduations, weddings, new jobs. But what about the small, sacred moments that helped you survive? The gentle wins. The quiet joys. The whispered prayers answered in small ways.

Today’s post is an invitation to document the stories you might’ve forgotten, the ones that carried light into your life without fanfare.

🌿 What Are Quiet Wins?

  • A week without a flare-up
  • A kind message on a hard day
  • Getting out of bed when you didn’t think you could
  • Saying no when you usually say yes

These may not make headlines, but they matter deeply. And they deserve to be honored.

📸 Create a “Quiet Wins” Page or Mini Album:

Here’s how:

  1. Title it “The Stories I Forgot to Tell” or “Quiet Wins”
  2. List or journal 3–5 small moments that brought you peace, relief, or joy
  3. Use soft, neutral tones like sage, linen, gold, or blush
  4. Add:
    • A photo (even symbolic—your mug, your bed, your dog)
    • Texture (washi tape, tags, fabric bits)
    • One stamped or handwritten quote

💬 “Not all victories are loud. Some whisper.”

This page becomes a personal anchor. A quiet celebration of your resilience.

The light isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes, it’s found in the tiniest cracks of a hard week. And when we take the time to honor those glimmers, we create a fuller, truer picture of our journey.

✨ Need help getting started? Download my free “Quiet Wins” journaling card set and printable prompt sheet.
And if you’re craving connection, join my VIP group where we share stories like this all month long. Join here

Why Comparison is a Creative Block
creating · Mindset & Motivation

Why Comparison is a Creative Block

Tina Biornstad-SzafranskiLeave a comment

Have you ever opened Instagram, seen a perfectly styled layout, and instantly questioned your own creativity? We all have. Comparison is sneaky. It shows up as admiration, but often leaves behind doubt. For those of us who’ve survived trauma, battled chronic illness, or are healing from burnout, comparison can be especially painful—it chips away at the safe space we’re trying to build.

But creativity isn’t a competition. It’s a path. A practice. A deeply personal journey.

🌿 Why we compare:
We compare to feel connected. To orient ourselves. But in a creative space, that habit can become harmful. Instead of inspiring, it can paralyze us. Especially if we’re already feeling vulnerable or uncertain.

🧠 Comparison tells us lies like:

  • “Your work isn’t good enough.”
  • “You’re behind.”
  • “Why even bother?”
  • “Look how much better she’s doing.”

✨ The truth is:

  • Your story is unlike anyone else’s.
  • You are allowed to create slowly.
  • You don’t have to share your work to validate it.
  • The messiest page can still hold the most meaning.

Last month, I spent hours on a layout that didn’t come together. I almost gave up—until I reminded myself it’s okay if it’s just for me. That shift in mindset helped me finish it and actually love the result.

💗 Reframing your mindset:

  • Instead of “better,” try asking: What’s different?
  • Instead of “behind,” try: What do I want to feel?
  • Instead of “they’re better than me,” try: I admire their style. I’m finding my own.

Comparison is a thief of joy—and creativity. The next time it sneaks in, pause and ask: What is true for me today? Then create from that space.

➡️ Need a judgment-free space to reconnect with your creativity?

  • Download my free Bloom Tracker to focus on consistency, not comparison
  • Subscribe to the newsletter for gentle encouragement each week
  • Share a photo of your real, in-process work using #CreatingWithoutComparison and tag me @gemspaperscissors—I’ll cheer you on every time 🌸
Why Repetition in Art Can Be Restorative
creating · creative wellness · Healing through art

Why Repetition in Art Can Be Restorative

Tina Biornstad-SzafranskiLeave a comment

Repetition often gets a bad rap—seen as boring or monotonous. But in creativity, repetition can actually be healing. Whether it’s stamping the same image, layering paper in similar ways, or journaling a repeated affirmation, repetition provides rhythm, grounding, and comfort. For those of us navigating trauma, chronic illness, grief, or stress, this rhythm can feel like a lifeline.

🌀 Why repetition works:
Repetition gives our brains a break from decision fatigue. It lets us sink into the flow, bypassing the critical voice that says “this isn’t good enough.” In fact, it can be a meditative creative practice.

🖌 Examples of restorative repetition in papercrafting:

  • Stamping the same image in a row with different ink tones
  • Using a grid format for journaling cards each week
  • Layering the same flower die cut in three tones of pink
  • Writing the same affirmation on every page of a mini album
  • Repetitive stenciling or embossing across backgrounds

“When I’m overwhelmed, I stamp a simple leaf image in a soft color over and over. It becomes almost prayer-like. I don’t need to think—just create.”

🌼 Why it helps with healing:

  • Anchors you in the moment
  • Creates safety through structure
  • Boosts confidence as small wins accumulate
  • Encourages mindfulness without pressure to innovate
  • Gently rewires neural pathways toward calm and joy

Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself—creatively, emotionally, or spiritually. In fact, that repetition may be exactly what your nervous system and soul need to feel safe and seen.

➡️ Want a space to explore repetition in your creative healing?

  • Grab my free Bloom Tracker to see how repetition builds creative momentum
  • Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly inspiration and gentle motivation
  • Share your own “repetition ritual” with the tag #RestorativeArtRepetition so we can celebrate your process