July 19, 2007
Scrapbooking is not a Race
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I’ve just read a great post on The Legacy Lady’s blog .
Today’s tutorial is something that has everything to do with your layouts and nothing to do with Photoshop. I don’t even know if you can call it a tutorial per se - but it is something we all need to learn and then remember on a regular basis… Scrapbooking is all about timing…
So I have finally reached the point where I am running out of photos to scrap - or so it feels… In reality I have hundreds of photos I could scrap - but that would require browsing DVDs of digital files or photo-box diving into film-based photos - which takes time. Today I am completely immersed in the digital immediateness of snapping a photo and being able to come inside and scrap it instantly - it is like a novel digested into a two hour movie - right here and right now - quick as you can get it.
But is that really the best way? Case in point - two layouts with photos from the same shoot - I can tell you which is my favorite - but I will let you see them both first…
Kayla gives all scrapbookers a great reminder that scrapbooking is not a race. It is so easy to forget that, with all the challenges that are posted on scrapbooking sites and the scrapbooking deadlines we feel we have to meet. I see many scrappers posting goals to scrap a certain number of layouts in a year and then keeping count of their progress. That’s fine if this is an important goal for them but it can influence others to feel that they’re not producing ‘enough’ layouts and that their output is not good enough.
So all I would say to you scrappers reading this is: just remember why you do scrapbooking in the first place. For FUN. Do not feel driven to churn out heaps of layouts to achieve some self inflicted number. Relax and enjoy the process. Allow yourself the time to get the best out of your layouts and that way you can grow and improve your skills.
And never forget why you’re doing this… FOR YOU!!!!
Stumble it!
11 Responses to “Scrapbooking is not a Race”
Yes, Kayla’s post was great.
I don’t set myself “goals” for a certain number of pages. I don’t see that as being important. I only scrap what I want to scrap, and I only enter challenges or dares if the topic is something I’ve always wanted to do.
I’m all about telling the story behind the photo, too.
By Hannah on Jul 19, 2007
Karen, thanks for noting my post!
I wrote the post mainly to remind myself of WHY I do this - as you can see in my example - I often get so busy & motivated to crank out layouts that I forget - the heartfelt memories will be what my children treasure… Maybe I should write that up on a slip and post it to my monitor so I will remember…. 
By Kayla on Jul 19, 2007
Amen to that!
By Becky on Jul 19, 2007
I am like Hannah. I never start the year off saying I want to do so many layouts. It puts pressure on me and I find I can’t do it. For me its all about the story. The memories - the good and bad and sad and happy.
For me its about those moments, the everyday as well as the special.
By Janine on Jul 19, 2007
Well it’s about time! About time someone spoke about this~~hehe wish I’d have thought to blog that myself! I’m a notoriously sloow scrapper! Not that it takes me days to actually work on 1 page but that I HAVE to pretty much be in the mood. Want to scrap. I’m not in this for speed and never have been. Never have I been one to complete hundreds of pages a year or upload daily to galleries. I have felt a little “weird” or maybe forgotten about in the digi community because of this sometimes. lol~that’s OK:) Great post Karen!
By Martha~aka~Krash on Jul 20, 2007
Turnabout … you’re tagged back Karen! 8-> Please visit my blog, I have nominated you for a Reflections Award!
You can pick up the badge there and begin your list of nominees!
By Kahshe Cottager aka Jen on Jul 20, 2007
Great to hear that we’re all on the same page girls. The scrapbooking industry has grown so large it’s easy to lose sight of why we got involved in the first place.
By karooch on Jul 20, 2007
Oh bless you! I felt so bad for not scrapbooking a zillion layouts in a month :p
Like Hannah I can only enter challenges, if the subject really interests me (that’s why I had a hard time at NKOTB). Creating something when it’s a must, takes the fun *and* creativity out of things and I certainly don’t want that to happen!
By Antoinette on Jul 20, 2007
Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that scrapbooking is about us having fun, first and foremost Antoinette. It’s so easy to lose sight of that.
By karooch on Jul 24, 2007
I agree it’s not something I can do against the clock. It’s the quality that counts every time!! Rather one great one that 100 just OK’s!! Today we have so many targets in life we have to meet, so scrapping should be something we do for us, as a way to remember and also as fun and relaxation…not with added pressure.
By Census on Feb 18, 2008
And it’s so easy to forget that i find June, With all the challenges that are put up on scrapbooking websites and the expectation that every event has to be scrapped, i think we put way too much pressure on ourselves.
By karooch on Feb 18, 2008