On Scrapbooking

When I first started scrapbooking, it was to find a creative outlet. Throughout my life I've always enjoyed crafting, but I have very little artistic talent (you couldn't even identify a stick figure if I drew it). Then, after moving to a new town three hours away from all of my friends and family, I needed a way to connect within my community, so I began working at my local scrapbooking store (LSS) and many friendships blossomed from people I met while working there. Although I no longer work there, one of my best friends in Iowa is a fromer LSS coworker.

One thing I love about this hobby is that not only is it an icebreaker (a quick common thread, an activity to combat the ackwardness of being around new people), it facilitates learning about other people. As fellow scrappers work on their pages and projects, they share the stories of their lives with you too. Often times blessing you with a glimpse into their lives that you wouldn't normally get through an e-mail or over a cup of coffee -or even from their facebook pages and blogs.

Last year, several of us met once-a-month to spend a day scrapbooking. This year schedules have been busy and we've fallen out of the rhythm of it. Now, my husband has found this to be a good thing because I'm not constantly packing and unpacking my supplies which leaves me in a constant state of disorganization (which vexes me greatly) or the house a mess of supplies (which greatly vexes him).

One notable difference pre- to -post LSS employment is that my "stash" of supplies has grown exponentially -much to the chagrin of my husband. Now, as a scrapbooker I am delighted to have what I need when I need it (i.e. in the wee hours of the morning when I tend to scrap). But this also creates a conflict, because when I do want to leave my house to scrapbook it has become increasingly difficult in time to pack and I inevitably forget atleast a few key items for my project. I've often heard from other scrappers the same delimna. We feel pressured to be productive when we spend a day on creativity, but leaving our homes often leaves us in less-than-ideal working conditions.


So, what's a scrappy girl to do?

In my case, I've learned to be honest with myself. I'll never create as much as I would like when I'm away from my scrapspace, so I pack lighter. But, isn't the point to scrapbooking to preserve memories? If I never leave my scrapspace to foster friendships and create memories, then I'll be starving my own hobby. So, next time I have a choice between being productive or building friendships, I'll choose scrapping with friends and building friendships.   :)