| Permission Granted |
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Break Through Scrapbooking Myths and Scrapbook in a New and Liberating Way |
"Are you sure I can do that?"
I've heard these words many times as I've shared ideas for making scrapbooking
less overwhelming. Oddly enough, there seem to be several unwritten laws (or at
least general assumptions) concerning the preservation of memories and what's
required of someone who wants to become a "scrapbooker."
I fear some of these assumptions might be keeping members of my own family and several of my friends from "getting started."
Just for the fun of it—and in celebration of the premier issue of Simple Scrapbooks—I'll address four of these assumptions and, in case you want it, give you permission to approach scrapbooking in some new, perhaps unconventional, but very liberating ways.
A NEW APPROACH
Without further delay, and with the authority vested in me as editor of
Simple Scrapbooks magazine, and all the experience I have as a working
mother of four, domestic goddess, life enthusiast and all-around busy person,
and in accordance with the good and grand desires of my heart that make me want
to celebrate every little aspect, quiet moment and unforgettable adventure of my
life and the lives of those important to me, and lastly, because the most
precious time is spent making memories, I hereby grant you, my fellow
scrapbookers, permission to:
1. Leave most of your photos
in the box.
At least for now. I mean really, you take so many pictures, and if you expect to
creatively deal with each of them in a way that will inspire your offspring for
generations to come, you've placed an unrealistic expectation (not to mention
burden) on yourself. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you to curb your
photo-taking appetite. Shoot away. I just don't think you need the pressure of
trying to scrapbook every photograph you take.
Try this instead. Set up a box,
drawer or file labeled "duplicate photos" and see how good it feels to file away
19 of the 24 pictures you took at your nephew's bar mitzvah. I did something
similar with photographs from my sister's wedding. I used just three shots to
preserve the event on a scrapbook page and am storing the rest of the pictures
in one of our family's large slotted photo albums. I saved time and
we can still view all the photographs taken at the wedding. The layout I
completed and others depicting special extended family events will go into my
"Family Celebrations" album.
The skill of editing and choosing the most "scrap-able" photos from your stash and archiving the rest really comes in handy when you're trying to chronicle a child's life. While working on layouts that represent my son Chase's life the year he was in kindergarten, "archiving" the extra photos allows me allows me to stay current on Chase's life (in his album) and scrapbook in more detail the remaining photos when I get the urge or the time (in my albums).
2. Work non-chronologically.
Some experts recommend scrapbooking your current photos first then working back
in time. Others say it's better to start with older photos and work forward. I
support either one of these methods. Both work well for thousands of
scrapbookers. However, and I promise I'm not an anti-chronologist, whenever you
organize photos in date order you automatically emphasize events and risk
missing other important aspects of life.
Next time you're sorting
through a new pack of prints, watch for those photographs that might help you
capture and celebrate a relationship, someone's personality or a quality in a
family member that you value. In this layout, Emily
Tucker of Matthew, North Carolina, used this photo of her daughter and husband
at a friend's wedding to create a page about a wonderful daddy-daughter
relationship. She then took it a step further by drawing a connection between
this relationship and the one she shares with her father.
This is what scrapbooking is all about. Don't get so caught up in chronicling the events that you skip over other memories, or miss out on the moments. You don't have to organize your photos to get started. Why not spend an afternoon sifting through decades of older photos? Randomly select several shots that make you laugh. Put them in a pile and then get them on a scrapbook page or two. They belong together—not sequentially, but emotionally.
3. Let go of creative
pressure.
Remember, the essential elements of any scrapbook page are the photographs and
the story behind them. That's it. You really don't need anything else.
Decorative elements aren't essential, and creating custom artwork is certainly
not required. We all love to drool over inspiring and mind-expanding creativity,
but if trying to produce it is giving you a headache, making you feel inferior,
or causing you to lose sleep, then you really need to "take a chill pill."
Scrapbooking is supposed to be
fun and even relaxing. Rejoice in the fact that this industry introduces new and
exciting products and page accents every day. Use them. They'll help make your
job of compiling scrapbooks easier. If it's been awhile since you simply used
patterned paper as a backdrop for your pictures, or just two stickers from a
sheet to enhance a layout, remind yourself how refreshing this can be (see
layout to left). Perhaps you could designate one of your albums as your coffee
table "show book." In it you can really explore your creative side, and the
execution of each page may well become as important as its message. Just be sure
to take a break every now and then and take advantage of the vast array of
pre-made products available online and at your local scrapbook store.
4. Spend less time.
I have a dear friend who recently confessed, "I'd like to start scrapbooking,
but I fear it would take over my life and I'd never have time for the other
things I love." I've met so many women who feel the exact same way. They're
afraid of the long-term commitment. They (and maybe you) need permission to just
"dabble" in scrapbooking.
With Simple Scrapbooks,
you can become a "weekend scrapper." If you want a simpler way to record your
family life, we'll teach you the shortcuts you'll need to get it done quickly. If you want to create an occasional gift or theme album, we'll give
you all the inspiration, ideas and instructions you'll need. A theme album can
offer a "slice of life" look at someone you love that can be just as meaningful
as volumes of chronology.
If you're not passionate about the creative process of compiling a scrapbook, try viewing a scrapbook simply as a vehicle to capture and celebrate whatever it is you are passionate about. Imagine using your talent or interest as a unifying theme in an album all about you. Whether you love sewing, gardening, cooking or sky diving, you can weave it into your personal story so you'll leave a true-to-life record of who you really are.
There you go—permission granted to leave most of your photos in the box, work non-chronologically, let go of the creative pressure and spend less time overall. So, can you do this? You bet you can. You have my permission!
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