ok heres the thing, i have a hobby i love - scrapbooking...ive spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on products, and actually worked for about 4 months in a scrapbook store...but my problem is that i cant get started on my projects. i love buying all the products, glancing thru the magazines, looking on websites, talking to other scrappers about products - have organized and re organized and again re organized all my pictures...i even have an area in my home set aside for making my scrapbooks - but all i can do is sit and stare at all my products, i just cant get started. i sign up for classes in the scrapbook stores and for a fee you can go to there and work on your scrapbook and shop during this time and of course socialize with others. (they have weekly classes scrappers that last from 6 - 10 hours) but when i go to these classes i spend well over an hour just trying to put one page together...i even spent a 3 day long weekend away in the mountains just to scrap - i swear i spent the majority of the time being overwhelmed. i only got 6 pages done, whereas most of my other friends got about 20-40 pages done...i know so many others have problems getting started with something i just wanted to share...thanks so much for giving me a place to do this...
julie

Getting started is easy for me, finnishing is the prob here.
Julie do you mean to say you haven't ever started one, or each one is hard to start, yet you do eventually start?
Do you think it's a fear that you will not like what you have done?
Or having too many thoughts/ideas as to how to begin?

hi janine,
no ive completed about 100 pages so far, but my son is now 10 and ive been working on his book for years. getting started is the problem, but coming up with ideas is the hard part, but once i find something i really like then i can work pretty fast from there. now with all the new products out (i just started working on the book again after not touching it for two years) im a little overwhelmed, so ive been copying ideas from the magazines, and now my old pages just look so unfinished i want to redo all of them.
julie

Hi,

I am new to the forum. I understand what you are feeling. Could I offer a couple of suggestions and questions?

First, are you being too hard on yourself? You could have too high expectations of what you would like your scrapbook to look like which puts a lot of pressure on you to measure up. This should be a fun project.

Second, are you competing with other people to be the "best" scrapbooker?

Do you have all your supplies in one place? It is much simpler to work on a project if you keep everything in a drawer or plastic container near your photographs and memorabilia. Treat yourself to duplicates of scissors and other items that will only be used for scrapbooking. No more looking or gathering things before you start.


WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Changing your perspective and some practical project management tips might really help.

Ask your self why you are making the scrapbook. Then, write down all the reasons. I imagine one is to make a wonderful book of memories for your 10 year old. How about making this your focus and forget about what other people think. Involve your child. Let them create pages and help you with ones you start. It makes for great one-on-one time and will build additional memories. Kids absolutely love the process of making things, take advantage of it.

Next, take a little time "organize" (I really hate that word) this ongoing project. Sort all your pictures by year-this shouldn't take too long. Now make a list of the different pages you would like to have. Let you child help!!! Make it a game, order pizza out.

When you bring home new pictures mark them with the date and event and place them in the box or envelope for that year.

You can't be creative in a vacuum. (It is really dusty and smelly in there.) The greatest artists, musicans, and architects study the works of other artists and cultures which gives them the foundation for their work. Use other's ideas and adapt them to your purposes. Above all, have fun.

I think you will be able to enjoy working on your scrapbook and finish pages without guilt if you do this for you and your child and no one else.

Good luck and best wishes, above all have fun. Life is too short to stress.
Take some digital pictures of your pages and share them with us. I am sure they will inspire the rest of us.

You can e-mail me off line if you like.

Becky

I read your post again. You know that reading comprehension thing just gets me sometimes. Sometimes I just sit and stare at things and can't get motivated.

Think of all the things you are doing right. Give yourself permission to not get as many pages done as others. Are you enjoying doing each page? Do you treat yourself after a session?

On the creative side, why reinvent the wheel. Maybe you can choose about 12 basic page designs you really love and use those as starting points. Your variables are the colors you use, the number of pictures, borders, stickers, and so on. Keep page sketches in a notebook for future reference. Cut out page ideas from your magazines and glue stick them into the notebook too. This is much like an artist's sketchbook. This should help reduce some the mental paralysis. Make notes on the pages of your ideas or changes you want to make.

Think of your pages as part of a museum exhibit (I worked for 2 years in museums). Each exhibit tells a story. Your pages are telling a story about your family. A story has a beginning and an ending with lots of good stuff in between.

Set aside a specific time each week or month to work on this project. I find working on projects while watching TV makes me more productive. As much as I hate structure, I keep reading about the great need ADD persons have for structure. I am working on mine. Schedules are my nemesis.

Becky