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Not sure if I want to continue....

littlekiwi

littlekiwi

I charge by the hour for anything before noon
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
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I know this sounds weird and strange but im not sure whether scrapping is for me anymore. Many years ago I was super into it but life got in the way so it never happened. I thought moving and not having my 14 hour days would rekindle my love and interest in scrapping but it hasn't. I haven't even finished downloading products that I bought in May before my laptop went in for repair. I've just become more attached to my ipad instead. I'm not even taking that many photos, my stash is wildly unorganized so im not sure whether to keep trying to scrap or rest it til the new year maybe. Buying new supplies isn't an option due to $$$.
 
I'm with you.
My all time fave designer retired a couple of weeks ago. I lost my mojo ages ago (literally, years) when life got in the way. Even with 5 super active kids, motorcycle trips, bicycle trips and activities, etc. I just am not taking the volume of pictures I was a couple of years ago.
My stash, however, is super organized. Always has been since the day I discovered scrapping digitally. I was never a paper scrapper.
Money isn't as big an issue as it was in the past, but it still gets very tight sometimes. I'd really like to upgrade to the Adobe CC, but that's not in the budget... so I have CS2, as I have... forever.

I'm not giving it up completely, but definitely not putting pressure on myself anymore. If I create a page, GREAT! If not, that's ok too.
 
sounds to me like you're in a scrapping funk. maybe it'd be best to give it a break for a bit, maybe recharge the ol' batteries and reassess how you feel in a little while? sorry, Jennifer. I'd hate to see you give it up completely!
 
y_baros said:
sounds to me like you're in a scrapping funk. maybe it'd be best to give it a break for a bit, maybe recharge the ol' batteries and reassess how you feel in a little while? sorry, Jennifer. I'd hate to see you give it up completely!
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I've kind of been in a rut for at least the last 6 months if not more and even then I was only scrapping in spurts
 
I agree with Yolanda, and hope that you don't give up completely. Creativity is such a hard thing to capture and control. Maybe identifying a project you want to focus on . . . say with Capture Your December/December Daily. Maybe you want to do that this year. Instead of scrapping right now, you could just be focusing on those products/items that would fit for scrapping that project and get them organized. Then when you start taking photos of your daily activities, you will be ready to create. Or maybe, like me, you have tons of daily photos from Decembers past that you need to document. LOL

Sending you MOJO vibes and hope that you will feel the excitement and passion of scrapbooking again! ((HUGS))
 
Christmas isn't a big thing for me. I really wanted to start Project Life when I moved in June but I'm not sure what happened to be honest.
 
Maybe you could record your educational journey . . . that would definitely be a project that would fit for you. I think finding something that you can focus on and plan about might help you while you are waiting for your mojo/creativity to return. If it's not Christmas, or your educational journey, maybe there's something else you want to document?
 
gonewiththewind said:
Maybe you could record your educational journey . . . that would definitely be a project that would fit for you. I think finding something that you can focus on and plan about might help you while you are waiting for your mojo/creativity to return. If it's not Christmas, or your educational journey, maybe there's something else you want to document?
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Thing is I have next to no photos of either my degree or post grad studies but it is such a good idea and something I might find therapeutic in a way as I dont want to scrap about my house dramas at least yet
 
Oh, you could totally use a blank sheet of notebook paper and journal on it, with all kinds of desk and computer elements around on a number of pages . . . even without photos. I think it would be a great project! It's such a big part of what you've done for the past few years!
 
Sounds like a scrapping rut/missing creativity. I've had that and I had to find the fun to scrap again. When it happened to me, it was MOC and that kickstarted everything back up. The challenge a day had me scrapping and I was loving not just creating for books, but for my love of being creative. Maybe take a complete break, and then come back to see how you feel. MOC is in January, and might get you scrapping again! If you don't want a break, but still like the forums and scrapping, maybe just start small. A layout every two weeks, and maybe 5 photos too?! The more pressure you put on yourself might be stopping you from scrapping. A All about me album with the alphabet? A little brag book size scrapping so the pages are smaller. Scrapping to use pretty products and positive daily thoughts?

Hugs, Jennifer. It's ok to take a break, or to just chat and hang out. When you feel inspired, you will scrap.
 
I've had the same especially when in school. I haven't started yet but my journaling is already suffering. And photos? Well July had hardly any. August was worse. It was just too hot here to go out and do anything. Maybe doing PL by months or I like Jenn's idea of aiming for 5 photos every two weeks. And journal cards with bullet journaling for a day or two each. Favorite assignments, or least favorite. Dumb jokes. New person met.
I'm glad you posted this I need to think about it. I am trying to get a routine started but I won't have the time for scrapping I had this summer.
Or take some time off.
Get enough pictures for the monthly challenges? 6 in a month would let you scrap any important or ordinary moments. Or just do what you want. Make it Project Education and just scrap about each class. Sorry I'm typing as I think.
 
We all have these times. I knew I was getting into a spot when several of my favorite designers moved to different stores or on their own and I knew i didn't have the energy to scrap with the various requirements of several places. So I came here!

You'll get your grounding back after a bit of time in your new place - and with spring I bet. Just taking photos of what's new from the smallest thing to new views etc will keep you going. With creativity, i think of it like a well or a spring. You have to prime the pump to keep the water flowing and that's what those little steps do. The monthly challenges really helped me get a lot of the fun going again.

'Artist dates' with yourself, an idea of Julia Cameron's, is also a good creativity bump. Every week find a place that will inspire your sense of fun again - a candy store, a yarn shop just for the 'fondling', an ethnic supermarket ...places you've never been just to look and see things you've never seen.
 
Relax, leave your scrapping stash where you see it when you open your files, so it reminds you, but don't worry about it. I am sure that in your kits there will be elements you can use to journal or art journal about your educational journey ,without needing to many photos, ( or none at all ) and take notes if something funny or important happens so you can remember.
For now just hang out with us here, there are plenty of other subjects apart from scrapping we talk about, and we would miss you if you left.
 
Life and living it is what's important. Be in the moment and go where your heart leads you without guilt. Scrapping may come back or some other artistic endeavour may take its place. Or not at all, you may find some other inspirational outlet all together. That's awesome.

For me Lilypad is more than scrapping and a creative hobby/outlet. It's a place I can also express my life as I experience it at that moment without judgement. Remember we are your friends even if you never do a single challenge or create another page. There is no pressure in friendship.

Go wherever life leads you and if you share your journey or not we all wish you well and have been blessed and enriched by the parts of your life shared with us.
 
You know I recently had that happen too - admittedly, we moved across the world, which is pretty stressful, and I thought that creating would keep me sane - but most of the time, scrapping was just not on my mind. I had loads of things I had downloaded before we moved and I just never opened. I had started PL - but lost it around week 13 or so - even my AJ which I love just was not working for me.

So i decided to take a break. I took a step back and started doing "real" things. Playing in the garden at my in-laws, painting furniture, organizing my mother's teaching supplies. When I thought I wanted to scrap again, i took one look at my scrapping folder and walked away - it was so disorganized.

Finally, I did something I thought I would never do - I completely cleaned off my computer - moved all the files I had downloaded prior to moving off to an ehd ( I could not bear to trash them) and just started with a clean slate. When I sat down to scrap- if I thought, oh, I need that form X kit, I would go and unzip it and put it back on my computer. That really worked for me, for now at least. It has helped me to pin-point supplies I really like to use and themes I need often - which helps with the clutter.

I think other people have mentioned this too - but if you don't have a lot of pictures, don't feel inspired by life - then don't put stress on yourself to scrap in the traditional sense of the word. When I really feel stress, I used my scrapping supplies to just play and make art - it is SOOO theraputic - it really helped when I was working on my MA too - while herding cats (also known as 3 kids, hehe).

Anyway, all that to say - do what you need to do to take care of you! If that is taking a break - go for it - sometimes that is the best way to find motivation again. If that is to just play with your stash, join us art journalers in playing.

Best of luck to you - I know it is hard to deal with all this and still make time for what makes you happy!
 
I have to agree with Diane. You can give up scrapping for a while -- we all need a break sometimes and you have good reason to need a break from scrapbooking. But we would miss you if you gave up the Lilypad too. I've grown fond of cheering you on.
 
Funks are perfectly ok. And I'll be the brave soul that admits I stopped scrapping for 3 years. 3!
I was a paper scrapper and had been for 12 years in a more dedicated fashion, although lately I've been finding what are the equivalent of smash books from earlier in my youth.
A lot lead to my break. I'd moved away from family, and didn't have little siblings/nephews/nieces to take photos of. I didn't have a lot of spare money to create the beautiful paper layouts I saw. I didn't have a dedicated space that was mine for creating.
So, I didn't. In those 3 years, I believe I made 2 pages. After about a year, I missed my community, so I started hanging out online in the forums. Still no scrapping, just lots of chatting. And then one day, I created a page, nothing exciting. And then a few more. And I moved again, and created a dedicated place for me. And started playing with photos. I wanted to learn to get beautiful photos of nature. I threw out/gave away a ton of older supplies that just didn't sing to my soul anymore. I still didn't have a lot of money to replace them, but I found one I cleared out the stuff I was done with, I had plenty left. And that journey brought me back to scrapping. It also lead to me switching to digital. And that switch ignited a spark. I loved learning something new. Now, I just go find a technique I can't do, or can't do well and work on it.

All my rambling to say it's perfectly ok to walk away from scrapping for awhile. I really hope you don't leave our community though! I'd miss you.

For me, I started taking more photos of our life. Because I started wondering what my mom's life was like prior to being a mom. And I wondered about the Salem Witch Trials and how odd that we have so little information surrounding the day to day in that time period. And how my ancestors lived. So I took photos of the places we went, and the things I saw. And found a few other kid-less scrappers to be inspired by.
 
don't worry I'm definitely not leaving the pad! I'm very isolated here with no family or really close friends here so having people I know here is everything.
 
Even if you stop scrapping for a while, I hope you can find time to journal. You can still save some memories in a different way. Hope to see you around for a long time.
 
I went through some crazy things about 1 and 2 years ago (in fact, my friend and I just ruefully told each other "happy anniversary" about the fire in my yard and underground lines that could have blown up my house, but I digress). So, I had NO emotional capacity to sit and scrap. None. You've had some big changes recently so that could definitely be part of why you're in a slump, just like I was. It's ok to get burned out, but that doesn't mean your scrapping passion won't come back. People have offered great ideas and support in this thread already, but I just wanted to say that I've been there, done that too. It came back and it was nice to have that outlet again. (And as far as not being able to scrap the housing drama yet, that's ok. I still haven't made a page about the fire yet. But maybe write down, like in a journal, about how you are feeling, which can help you deal with it as well as give you something to look back on later when you are ready to scrap it--or just to chuckle about a few years from now and to think "wow, that was such a crazy time. What a bad fit we were as housemates!")
 
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