I've been wrestling with this for a while, but I'm officially calling it quits for PL 2018. I just got so far behind this year and have zero motivation to catch up. I do plan to finish through May (I think I'm halfway through it as of right now). I'll print that book and do a second book of just event pages for the rest of the year. I do have a new, simplified plan for 2019, so I hope to be back here hanging out with you guys again soon! I just needed to make it official, so I could actually let it go and move forward with getting my pages scrapped! See you in January!
Do what you need to do! Event books are easier to keep up with (although I struggle with that). Project Life is difficult and when there's no inspiration it's even more difficult. What's important is documenting the memories and having fun doing it.
I think I need to do the same as you and just make it official to myself. I haven’t even started for this year but I keep telling myself that I’m going to do a PL album for this year. I have been enjoying just doing scrap pages again so at least I am getting some memories scrapped but I would really like to a complete project book for this year.
If it's a chore and not bringing you joy, then you definitely need to know when to say enough and move on. Good for you for recognizing that! Looking forward to seeing/hearing your plan for the new year! You always inspire me!
I agree with all of the above. If it's not fun anymore, give it up for awhile. You might get in the mood to start up again sometime. Honestly, that's why I do "Project 12" - just one page (or more) for a whole month. Those are fun for me to look back on and they don't wear me out. Sometimes, I only have one page and sometimes I have 3 or 4 - it just depends on how busy (or not) my month has been.
Tracie I always love your pages, PL or not, so just keep scrapping girl! Gotta do what works for you at the moment. It's no fun if it becomes a burden, and if you're so far behind that it seems too daunting to "catch up". I've kept with the same format for several years now, and I can't decide to just keep going with it (if it ain't broke, don't fix it), but I'm also getting a bit bored with it. I wonder if I should change things up, but if I do I'm not even sure how or what I would change about it. I have to give it some more thought before 2019 hits!
The way I look at it, even done to May is better than nothing. Life happens and scrapbooking should be fun. Let it go and move on. There is always something new for next year.
That's what I keep telling myself! I had come to this conclusion several weeks ago... but without admitting it "out loud", I kept thinking "I should keep going". But the truth is, I'm at a point where I'm at a standstill with scrapping this year until I let it go. I'm hoping I can now move forward with the rest of the year. Good luck with your project for this year! Thanks Jan! I'm actually kind of excited about next year, I hope my idea actually works! I made it to year six before the wheels came off... but there are people how have kept on top of it for longer than that... those people are my heroes! That's what I'm hoping. A little break will do me good! I like that idea... I toyed with it for my 2019 plan! Thank you Angela! Thanks Lynnette! I'm in awe of your pages and how well you keep up! Yes, I've hit the burden stage and there so many big events this year that I need to get scrapped. I'm excited to scrap them without having to worry about PL pages as well.
@tkradtke Tracie, when the want becomes too much should, then I know something has to change. Have a wonderful break and hope to see you again in January. I may be doing the same thing.
So... do you feel relieved now that you've made the official annoucement? I sure hope that your new plan makes you feel reinvigorated!
I'm a firm believer in writing it down, saying it out loud, announcing in some way an intent. If you are feeling relieved now that you've said it, I think its a good thing to let it go. Scrapping is many things to each of us but I think one of those things should be joy, otherwise what's the point? Right? Scrap when and what makes you happy.
I agree with everyone, do what works for you and what brings you joy. Sometimes taking a break from it helps too. I can' wait to see what your new plans for next year are.
Thanks Maureen! I'm hoping to be back as well. I think I just lost the intent behind the photos I took. I snapped too many quick random shots vs. thinking about how and why I was taking them. It was becoming pages and pages of random photos... I love random photos, I really do. But I needed to check myself and get back to taking some with intent as well. Yes! Most definitely yes! I happily scrap several events a week now (trying to catch up) vs. dreading opening up a PL page to work on. I'm also enjoying being able to skip around a bit. The way I was doing PL didn't allow for that, so I always felt like I had no choice with what I was working on.
All of this! ^^ I needed to announce it in order to fully let go. Until I did, I still had the project nagging at me in the background. I do feel a lot of relief and a renewed excitement for next year. Scrapping should bring joy, but I think where I kept getting hung up was that although the actual making of pages didn't bring me joy, my finished books did. That was something I had to reconcile. I eventually had to accept that a finished book in any form was going to bring me joy and if giving up PL and scrapping regular pages for events was what it was going to take to make it happen, then that's what I needed to do. I feel very free at the moment.
Yes....exactly. I have had to accept that I don't do well with a structured time frame like day to day or even week to week. I like DYD (but I include new years too) but don't do it every day and that works much better for me.
YES...Agree with all! And Tracy, you are so very talented and creative... you will find a way to document your memories beautifully, however that will look! You are one of my scrap heroes