Why I scrapbook?
In my About section of my blog, I claim that I scrapbook. Yet, I have never posted anything about it. Well, today is the day that I am going to talk about it. Maybe it will provide insight, maybe not. But, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the topic. I have been scrapbooking for 20 years, way before it was hot and trendy. I believe that scrapbooks are important to one’s soul and shows that you lived a meaningful life. You can look at them whenever you want, as many times as you want. Share them with family and friends and it allows you to tell those funny or poignant stories that make up your life. For me, the photos are such an integral component and I put as many photos on the page as I can to illustrate the event or story. I always journal because the stories will be lost in your mind if you don’t write them down. I even use my own handwriting because it is a record and adds a personal touch. No one is going to remember in 20 years the cool font you used.
You are probably wondering why I bring up this topic now. Well, I went off the rails for a while. Life happened and scrapbooking took a back seat. Back in the spring, I was talking to a dear friend who encouraged me to start again and she invited me to an all day crop. What is that you say? You work on your scrapbook all day. All day. Pack the snack of your choice, crank up the tunes and get into it. For a creative person like myself, it is essential to have creative time and to enjoy the process. I had a blast and have continued to attend those monthly crops. She even had the audacity to ask if I could scrape the money together to attend a weekend crop. Yes, scrapbooking all weekend! Well, I did and that is when I got my mojo back. In that weekend, I finished two-thirds of the 2011 scrapbook and had all of the pages laid out to finish at the next crop. I finished an entire scrapbook in one month. One month! That is a record for me and now I want to keep going. On that scrapbooking weekend, I pounded the peanut M&M’s, cranked my Sirius app and hung out with my friends. I didn’t have to cook or clean or do laundry, but I could be me doing something I love. I am so happy that my friend made those suggestions and didn’t give up on me. Life has a habit of getting in the way and sometimes you need to stop and do what makes you happy. Remember that!
*Tina