Authenticity in Scrapbooking
I’ve been pondering this question lately to myself: who are you when nobody is looking? It’s a hefty question to be sure. So wait, how does this relate to scrapbooking, you ask?
Who is your audience when it comes to scrapbooking? Is it yourself? Your family? Other scrapbookers? There is no right or wrong answer to this. But I’ve discovered something about when I scrapbook… my most favorite pages of all time are the ones where I look at it after some time has passed, and I love it because it was honest and authentic, and true to myself and the stories I told.
It’s so easy to be caught up in popular trends, latest products, creative teams, or doing pages so that other scrapbookers admire us. There’s nothing wrong with those things per se. I like trends and products as much as anyone else. But ultimately, what you spend time working on should matter to you and who you are. When creativity and meaning intersect, it’s a beautiful thing.
So what are some ways we can be authentic in our scrapbooking?
- Tell stories that would otherwise be untold. If you have trouble journaling, say it out loud like you’re talking to a friend first. Then jot it down.
- Document the good and the bad. It easy to only document the good parts of our lives. But documenting the hard parts will enable personal growth. You will be so proud when you look back on these pages, how strong you were, and how you got through it all.
- Pick and choose what you want to scrapbook about, based on its importance to you. You don’t have to scrapbook chronologically. I give you permission not to. 🙂
- Scrapbook the little things that you appreciate, that you might not remember in the future.
- Include yourself in your pages. Never feel guilty about scrapbooking about yourself. Even if you have children, they will really appreciate the pages you made about yourself. I can almost bet that those would be their favorite pages to look at as they get older.
- Create as if nobody’s looking. I think it’s so easy to get caught up in how pretty your pages look, or whether you’re using the latest products. Or maybe you’re making pages for your creative teams, but they aren’t offering as much meaning for you. Silence the voice of criticism and create for yourself.
- Keep a journal of life happenings and creative inspirations. I find that when I have a notebook full of ideas, it’s easier for me to create my own way.
Where are you in your scrapbooking? Does it feel old and tiring? Being authentic in your scrapbooking can be very inspiring. It just may be the kick in the pants you need to get scrapping! 🙂
Christine (listgirl)
