Why I still Scrapbook…

I still scrapbook.

Yup- I’m old school like that.

In a day and age where people take more photos than ever before, where people share and LIKE and upload to the cloud, I am still having my photos printed and securing them to a page in a book.

It takes supplies to keep up with scrapbooking, it takes space to spread out, funds to buy the latest and greatest stickers, die cuts or gadgets, but mostly- it takes time.  And time is the thing that I struggle the most with.  I have hundreds, and what will someday be thousands, of photos that will never make it to a book because of time.

So why do I bother?  Why can’t I just let it go and get with the modern conveniences of photo sharing?

Well…I could rely on Facebook.  But I like forcing my friends to get together for coffee or wine to hear about my life and see my vacation photos…

I’m high maintenance like that.

I suppose we could just gather around a lap top to flip through photos.  Enhanced by the screen size they are easy to see and enjoy together.  But it seems once the initial SHARE is over- they are forgotten.  Filed away in my digital data base.  Out of sight and out of mind.

I could still create books using an online photo program like Mixbook and Shutterfly.  These turn out beautiful- I will admit.  But what about my mementos?  The brochures I saved because the image on them was cool or the ticket stubs that say the exact date and time you used them. I could scan them in to my computer to include them- create a flat digital copy- toss the original.  A memory of a memory…

But I like knowing that not everything will one day be reduced to a flat copy or an image on a screen.  That things have depth and dimension and are real.  Because we are real.

So where does that leave me?  How do I take on a project with no possible end in sight?

How do I take the 200 images of our last trip and narrow them down to 100 print worthy  photos, which translates to 35-50 scrapbook pages cleverly arranged…

For a few years I completely stopped.   I let the perfectionist in me believe there was no point in continuing when I’ll never finish- never have every memory recorded all complete and orderly.

But then I did the most amazing thing- I cut myself a break.  I thought about how much I love traditions and the written word and how I love looking a photos arranged on beautiful papers that- strung together- tell a story and share a feeling.  And I realized SOME is better than NONE.  So I decided I would start again.  Complete a few pages every week, knowing that every page I make is one more page we’ll pull out later to enjoy over and over again.

I guess that’s the point of this whole story.  I still scrapbook- yes.  I still love it and I still struggle to find the time to do it.  But it has helped me realize a new goal in my life- do what you can.  Rejoice in what you accomplish instead of being disappointed by what didn’t turn out perfectly as planned.

Because life doesn’t always turn out perfectly as planned.

But most of the time it still turns out pretty darn amazing…

 

You Might Also Like:

Why I Really started a Blog!