A few years ago, I did an ad trade with the woman who runs the Skinny Taste site. At the time, I really didn't have an ad ready to go, so I decided to whip up a quick one and at the last minute, I used the phrase, "Taking the 'crap' out of scrapbooking." I wasn't sure if that would attract any new readers to my blog or not, but I thought it accurately reflected my approach to this memory keeping pastime.
I worried, initially, that it might be seen as negative by some, but then realized, no, it's actually how I approach this hobby.
How so? Well, let's define crap.
1. Crap = expectations of how you're supposed to do something. From the outset, I had to do what felt right to me creatively or this hobby wasn't going to last for the 11 years that it has thus far. Having an expected way to tell a story, or hearing how women felt they should do pages for their children never had much of an appeal for me. I always saw it as an opportunity to tell the stories I wanted to save and to feel creative in the process. And as I've learned in therapy, expectations make stuff not much fun at all.
2. Crap = keeping up with the latest trends. For me, trying to keep up with every trend (and yes, there was a time in my crafting life when I did make the effort) just didn't sit well at all. I always thought if the trend fit, then I would wear it. If not, no sleep would be lost that I keep going back to the same approach and style that made me love scrapbooking in the first place. This is more a reflection of me personally as well. I'm not the trendiest of gals out there. I just know what I like and I make it work within my loved, worn and familiar framework.
3. Crap = stuff that gets in the way of creative living. You know what I'm talking about, right? Stuff like comparing yourselves to others (her photos are SO much better than mine); or feeling like you aren't a good scrapbooking mom if you don't get the right photos at the right time. Or being so involved in the memory keeping process that you're not actually living in the moments of your life.
4. Crap = painting the rosiest picture of your life you can find. This hobby is really about telling the true stories of your life. The everyday stuff. The nitty gritty. The ups and downs and inbetweens. What your life really and truly looks like. I'm not saying you need to create a detailed layout on how your bursitis has been flaring up (but if you want to, by all means do), but I am talking about real stories. Real life. The authentic experience of being you.
5. Crap = any other obstacle that removes your personal enjoyment from this hobby. I'm not talking about time and responsibilities here. But I'm am talking about the stress of being behind (who is keeping track here?) or the idea that if you're not getting the comprehensive story of your life told (maybe because you are out there living it, right?)
So that's what I mean by crap. And it's sitting really well in my head right now. It's inspiring me. It's reminding me of everything I adore about scrapbooking.
I designed a very simple printable 3 x 4 card, perfect for you Project Lifers out there, or anyone who'd like a handy little card that reminds you of some of your own reasons for doing what we do. There are four colors to choose from.
Enjoy! Here's to removing the crap from your scrapbooking.
