A Scrapper’s Self-Realization Scrapbooking Families.com

A Scrapper’s Self-Realization

Doing something artistic can help you realize things about yourself that you never knew. It can open your mind, and your view on things that maybe you did not think you wanted to know anything about. Today, I realized something about myself. While I love paper crafting, and love scrapbooking, I do NOT love card making. I had to put together some cards for an activity for my church for the young girls to make cards to thank someone during this holiday season. I wanted to get the cards pre-cut and measured ahead of time so that all would go smoothly. Well, I do not make cards. I do not own most of the tools needed to make cards. So, I borrowed from a friend, and thought, “I scrapbook all the time! I should be able to whip something up for them to make!” No problem.

I am somewhat of a free spirit when it comes to scrapbooking. I do not measure very often, I cut semi-straight edges, and I very often draw free-hand on my layouts. In fact, I love a homemade card, but it seems to me, (and maybe I am wrong), that you need a few more rules to get a card looking fantastic than you do to make a scrapbook layout. Am I crazy?

I quickly became frustrated with scoring, and measuring, and having to use things like….math! Ugh. No, thank you. But, I did get three cards made in about 2 hours, and I’m glad that’s over.

Here are some other lessons I’ve learned about myself in the process of scrapbooking:

1. I like imperfection.

2. I love for something to be a little off centered on a page.

3. I HATE using paper cutters.

4. Something that is beautiful to me may not be beautiful to you.

5. I can appreciate straight lines, I just do not necessarily want to create straight lines.

6. I like for the project to evolve as I work on it. I usually don’t have a plan when I start a layout.

There are so many things that we can realize about ourselves in scrapbooking. Maybe these things we learn don’t necessarily translate over into “real life”, but it doesn’t matter. Anything that makes us self-analyze and reflect, in my opinion, is a good thing.