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Overwhelmed with MOC

littlekiwi

littlekiwi

I charge by the hour for anything before noon
Joined
Jan 21, 2012
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I started feeling really confident with my ideas for day 1 & 2 then got overwhelmed with the rest of the challenges especially the ATC one & Cheryl's template since i'm a very simple scrapper so haven't actually completed any layouts. Any advice to catch up and stay motivated especially when it's not my normal simple or pocket style layout?
 
Sorry to here this Jennifer, glad you started this thread now rather than Jan 30! i'd focus on one day at a time or the ones that you have solid ideas for first, sounds like day 1 and 2 is a good place to start - picking the quote slowed me down with the ATC so I can sympathise but there's a simple template on day 3 that would also suit pocket cards. If in doubt at the moment I'm thinking of this quote, and I think it was Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music said something like 'let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start'
 
So much better to take the ones that you feel inspired to do first and then tackle the harder ones.
I love Cheryl's templates and find them very easy to use and I just tweak them to fit my style. You could totally remove everything that doesn't work for you from her templates. If you look in her store you will see that she usually has a simpler style and a more clustered style. I adore the clustery ones because they make me add more than I would if left to my own devices. But if that doesn't work for you scale it back until it does work for you, as long as the template is still recognisable underneath all that you do.
 
My advice, is to embrace the challenge. They don't have to be done perfectly, but at least stepping our of your comfort zone you might find something new you like. :) You got this!!!
 
Sorry that you've feeling overwhelmed. I definitely have had those moments too, the best thing I've found for me is to work on the ones that inspire me the most, so for you, if you have ideas for day 1 and 2, do those first. If there are others that stump you, skip them for now. I've found that when I'm stuck and I just leave it alone for a few days, sometimes something totally new will pop into my head and then I can get those stumpers done easier. :)

As for the ATC, don't overthink it. Pick any quote (or even your own or something a friend said to you) plunk it on the card and add some paint. Done! :)
 
Hugs, Jennifer!

Maybe make your first layout the one that you are most excited about! Once that one is completed, how about giving one that you think you will struggle on a try. Then go back and forth between the easier ones and the harder ones. Getting one done is an accomplishment, and then to get another harder one is another accomplishment, and it will go round and round!

Let us know how to help or what is making you struggle! We are full of ideas!
 
I struggled with the inspiration one. What I did was kit down the day number on a card by my desk. Then skipped it and did another challenge. When I came back, there were 12 pages of ideas and the speedscrap. That helped me find a starting place with it.

My ATC ended up so fun once I saw a quote at the library that I love. I struggled narrowing down all the great quotes before that. I'm planning to print it as a bookmark. The size is good for sticking in a pocket on a pocket page too.

I know you can do it! I totally love your idea of doing the ones that you feel are easy first, and get some momentum going, then tackle the harder ones.
 
Like Bestcee said on the inspiration one look at the speed scrap directions. The main thing is finding 5 things that inspire you.

I was just looking at the pages done with today's challenge and you can see how it fits together.It looks more difficult than it is.

Like most have said start with the ones you are more excited about and get some successes under your belt. But tackle the ones that seem harder in between or you end up with a bunch of overwhelming ones at the end.

Good luck and post questions. TLP is full of helpful people!
 
I'm sorry you're struggling Jennifer! Remember that this is all for fun, and it's okay if you don't finish all of them. Play along with the ones that speak to you, and I'm guessing some of the others that seemed hard at first won't seem quite so hard once you get some momentum going. For the ones you're struggling with, maybe write them down so you have with you, and when you have a free moment read back over them so you have some extra time to work out what you want to do for that day!
 
I'm sorry you are struggling. I've had my days. It's pretty worrisome when I am counting down the days until the month is over! :D Seriously, I understand where you are coming from. I got behind and I didn't think I'd be able to catch up. What did I do? I took a break and scrapped something for myself to get me excited about scrapping, instead of dreading what I had to get done. Then when I came back, I looked through the thread for inspiration--how can I scrap this layout to fit my style? What do I need to do to have this layout qualified for the rules? Sometimes that helped, sometimes it was just me looking at my photos with the thought of what challenges I had to do!

Take for example, the "All About" Challenge. We had to include FIVE things. I like to journal, tell the story. Not include specific details, etc. That was a challenge. As I was looking through my photos, I saw a screenshot of my son's interview that all of the moms on his birth board did. I figured I always wanted to do something with his interview, but didn't know how to make it happen and by the end of the day I had my layout completed--all while using a screenshot of something that I stored in my photo folders!

The ATC....don't overthink that one. Really it's not as difficult as it sounds. Trust me. Years ago, I dreaded making them. This year, I was like "I got this" and you know what? I had fun!! In a nutshell, make your canvas, put a piece of paper on there, throw 2+ different paints on there (hopefully you can find some in the same kit that you are using) and then find a quote/lyric--something that you find yourself saying and put it on there. You're done! It's really that simple!

The inspiration challenge--that one stumped me. There was too much on the graphic that I couldn't break it down and I got overwhelmed. I took a piece of white paper and covered all the blocks and looked at each picture individually. I wrote things down from each photo and from there, I was able to pick/choose from my own written words how I wanted to scrap my layout. It can be the tiniest thing that you are picking out from the graphic. Like "there's a flower", so use a flower.

I guess what I'm saying is to make the challenges less challenging, break them down in to tiny steps that fit your scrapping style/design. You can do this. We are all doing this together. You've got time and you can totally catch up!! <3

Oh and if you get stumped, start a thread "I need help" or something and we'll give you ideas about that challenge. You've got this
 
You've gotten some good advice. I'd say.....just take baby steps. Pick one challenge and spend as much time on that as you need. Look at the gallery, look at your photos, and just relax. It's wonderful to get through the month, finishing all the challenges, but IMO it's not the main goal. The main goal is to have fun. To look forward to trying something new, something outside your comfort zone. But....if you can't or don't want to work on some of the challenges...then don't. Have fun chatting with everyone, enjoy all the beautiful layouts in the gallery, and scrap as little or as much as you want.

No need to stress, and if you have questions and need help....ask. We're all here to help each other.
 
Thanks all, hopefully I'll get to a few over the weekend once family life is back to normal (my mum had a emergency tooth removal on Tuesday night and recovery hasnt gone to plan so at 2.30am (3 1/2 hours ago) today (Friday) she took herself off to the emergency room)
 
Jennifer, you have gotten some great advice here. Best I can say is try not to over think it I know for me sometimes that can be my downfall.

The ATC one..... do you like music? Have a favorite song? Look up the lyrics and just jot down your favorite line put it on the card and add some paint.

Take them one at a time.
 
Let me just say to remember that right now, this is all imaginary stuff... If you do the challenge and you don't like how it turned out, that is no big deal. The important thing is that you tried it... So, post it and forget about it. Because you don't have to print it! It doesn't really cost anything to post up a card or page you made that you didn't love.

But, sometimes, when you set out to do something you've never done, magic happens and it turns out amazingly! When that happens, appreciate the awesome and keep on keeping on! But, if the magic isn't happening, it's not a huge deal because you're not forced to walk around wearing it on a tshirt or anything... :D

Reminds me of a story- Art teacher has 2 classes and decides to try 2 strategies with the classes... She tells one class they will work on one very important project for the whole semester- a magnum opus! It will be something they work all the whole time, and it will be the entirety of their grade! She tells the other class that she is judging their grades on the sheer number of art projects they do. She wants them to draw something different every single day. Guess which class was filled with better artists at the end of the semester?

For a month of challenges like this, we're banking on the second class being better artists at the end of the month! And, they were in the story, just like you and I will be at the end of the month! Even if we make a couple things we don't super love on the way!!

Huggles!!
~Sarah~
 
What a bummer sweets! I know I was feeling a little overwhelmed about mid 1st week of the MOC because I hadn't gotten anything done and didn't want to totally fall behind.
I found that once I started doing one of the challenges, I was inspired to do more and PLAY.

Really this is PLAYING with amazing and creative things (kits) and ideas, some out of our comfort zone but you can totally make them YOURS.

Go slow, do the ones you enjoy and I am sure the rest will be inspired to be created as well. And most of all: Don't Stress, it makes it harder to be your creative self ♥

I can't wait to see what you create! :)
 
Well all my scrappy time has gone for the next 4 days most likely thanks to being the 'family nurse, cook & cleaner' while my mum recovers
 
take some pics, not of Mum not feeling good, but of the plate of soft food you made her, something you cleaned, she does with ease, and maybe it not easy for you. those you could journal about
 
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