Life In Songs

Aside from a photo or a video, nothing captures a moment in time quite like music. One verse, one chorus—and suddenly, you're back in that moment, feeling all the feels.

So here's the question:
If your life had a theme song today, what would it be? That's the challenge in this week's Scrapbook Lab experiment.

Prompt Breakdown

For this week's creative experiment, I pulled:

• Theme: Soundtrack — Music that marks a moment or captures a mood

• Story: If your life had a theme song today, what would it be?

• Technique: Spray ink

I instantly knew I didn't want to pick just one song. Instead, I made a playlist—a personal Top 10 chart of tracks that have lifted and motivated me during some very challenging days.

The Soundtrack of My (Recent) Life

The past two years have been intense. Between caring for aging parents and helping my husband recover from a heart attack, I've been deep in the emotional trenches. At the same time, I've been trying to figure out where my business is going—and in some ways, where I'm going. Midlife has a way of forcing such questions.

When I pulled this week's prompt, I knew I wanted to create a page that honored the music that's kept me going. It wasn't until I started building the playlist and putting it all on paper that I began to see the bigger picture.

The Project: 80s Vibes + Personal Playlist Mini Book

I created this layout in my 2025 Book of Me journal, channeling the bold energy of the 1980s—the era from which many of these songs originated (Gen Xer, here). Bright colors, ink splashes, and music-inspired motifs helped me capture the vibe.

Using spray ink for a vibrant, expressive look, I added playful details, such as a vinyl record, a cassette tape, and music notes. These elements were strategically placed to enhance the theme of the page. The centerpiece? A spoofed Billboard Top 10 list featuring the songs that define this season of my life.

Why This Matters

As I chose the songs I've played most since 2023, some patterns emerged:

• Wistful escape – "Zoom," "Freedom '90," "New York State of Mind,” “Fly Away”

• Big dreams – "Big Time," "Golden,” She Works Hard for the Money”

• Defiant resilience – "Freedom," "I'm Still Standing"

• Humor through struggle – "The Breaks"

And each of these songs served as a reminder of the strength I've gained from overcoming these tough chapters. They are not just tunes, but anthems of my resilience.

They're more than shower tunes or karaoke cuts for me now. They reflect who I've become—a little older, a lot wiser, and far more grounded in who I am and what matters. I've learned to "live my life like it's golden (Jill Scott)" cuz "… a winner don't quit on themselves." (Beyonce).

Check out the video to see how I put this mini album together!

What song(s) reflect your current mood or mindset? Let me know in the comments!

Playlist: My Life in Songs (Today, Anyway)
Here’s the soundtrack that’s capturing my vibe right now:

1. “She Works Hard for the Money” – Donna Summer

2. “Freedom ‘90” – George Michael

3. “I’m Still Standing” – Elton John

4. “Big Time” – Peter Gabriel

5. “Zoom” – The Commodores

6. “New York State of Mind” – Bill Joel

7. “Golden” – Jill Scott

8. “The Breaks” - Kurtis Blow

9. “Fly Away” - Lenny Kravitz

10. “Freedom” - Beyonce (feat. Kendrick Lamar)