Scrapbookers just don’t have enough time. In a recent Twitter and Facebook poll, I asked what people’s biggest challenges with scrapbooking were, and the number one answer was “Not enough time!”
Boy can I relate? With three young children, a home business, and a husband who would like to see me at least a few minutes a day, finding time to scrapbook can be a big problem. If I don’t get strategic about it, it could be weeks before I even make it to my scrapbooking table. But I am not willing to sacrifice my favorite hobby, not even in favor of doing laundry. Here are some tips to help you fit scrapbooking into your life:
1. Forget about the perfect afternoon. I have images of a Sunday afternoon where everyone is out of the house, the laundry is done, dinner is simmering in the slow cooker, and I have nothing to do with scrapbooking. I have so many ideas, my scrapbook table is clean, and all the photos in my stack are perfectly in focus and the perfect size for the designs I want to create. SAY OH! When was the last time this scenario occurred? NEVER.
Instead of focusing on the “perfect” time to create a scrapbook, I focus on any time to create a scrapbook and make it work. I may have to make a scrapbook with three children next to me, one testing in his Spanish while the second does his math and the little one colors a picture. Alright. This is life. And that’s perfect.
2. Get ready to scrapbook. Make a list of the pages you want to complete, the stories you want to document, and the photos you want to take. Then the next time you pull out your camera, take those photos. The next time you have ten minutes to wait in the school pick-up line, grab your notebook and jot down a few notes in your journal. Then, when you have time at your desk, you can get to work.
Most of my scrapbooking takes place in 15-30 minute chunks, and I have a long list of tasks I can complete in that time frame, from uploading photos to an online developer to putting together page kits. Right now, my life is busy and crazy. If I want a scrapbook, I have to find a way to make it work.
3. Know your process. The more you know about how you like to scrapbook, the more you can work with that process instead of against it. Do you need a large selection of photos? Do you like to start with a sketch? Do you like to discard other designs? On the next few pages you create, write down your typical routine and where you get stuck. Then find out how to move through those stuck spots.
4. Narrow down your choices. For many scrapbookers, the most time-consuming part of the process is CHOOSING. Choosing which pictures, which paper, which buttons, which story, which letter stickers… Ack! Instead of giving you the whole world to choose from, it limits your options. Tell yourself you’re going to select from three photos, or make a page about your dog, or use green construction paper, before you even sit down to discard. Then grab and go.