Photo Geek

There have been times where taking some pictures seemed silly, like I'm one of those obsessed moms who follow their kids around documenting every bump, bruise and breath. Then, there are the times that are worth it... I may feel silly bringing my camera and taking pictures but I am sooo glad I did. I've taken pictures of my daughters wounds after getting stitches, of their first time in a dentist's chair, an unplanned haircut, and recently a trip to Lens Crafters. I felt goofy in the mall taking pictures, but am so glad my daughter will have these in her album, to document a pretty big change in her life. It's okay to be a photo geek.

Give Yourself A Break

It always amazes me when people think I know more than I do - and I'm equally amazed when I know more than I think I do. Have you ever had that feeling when you're afraid someone is going to ask you something and you won't know the answer, even though you're an "expert" in the field?

I just returned from my annual "Croptoberfest" weekend retreat. Besides just being an incredibly relaxing weekend away from the hustle and bustle of reality, we were extremely productive. Although a small group this year, only 3 dedicated croppers, we completed 85 pages (sans some journaling).

I always think it's funny when people are stuck on a page and ask my advice. I never hesitate to throw in an idea but it's usually just because I've worked on so many albums over the years and have TRIED many things myself, not because I'm a Creative Memories Consultant and they give us special "training" or anything. It also amazes me because I'm always in awe of other people's creativity and eye for design, which I really don't think I have. But again, I'm happy to provide a practical or tried and true idea, even if I don't know what I'm talking about.

I was recalling this weekend when I actually stopped worrying as much about my page layouts. I had just finished my oldest daughter's baby album, covering the first two years of her life. I had worked on it for so long, painstakingly picking color themes and stickers, writing poetry and crafting design out of pictures and paper. I proudly showed it to several family members and watched them as they flipped through the album. Surprisingly, NO ONE commented on page layout. NO ONE noticed my use of color and design. People looked at the PICTURES and read the STORIES.

Ah, reality set in. Although I'm a strong advocate for creativity, especially because this is a creative outlet for so many people, that's not what it's about. Getting the pictures down and telling the story are what's important. No one but you (and the friends you scrapbook with) will care about the color paper you use or the shapes you cut your pictures in. That's just for you to enjoy. What I'm trying to say is give yourself a break, if you're having trouble with a page, remind yourself that several years from now the important thing is that the picture and story are there.

Feel free to keep asking my advice... if I actually give you a good idea, I've just been lucky. You're the best advocate for what you really like and want.