Getting to work

It's raining here today. I have a large diagram of all the projects I want to finish for the book staring at me from my wipe board. I have the day to work. One day a week I have a friend help take care of my youngest child. So...the house is quiet, the dishes done and it's time to dive in. But...I always need to ease into it-psych myself up-think-and then I go to work. Sometimes I think I MUST be in the right "frame of mind" to be creative, but most of the time I recognize the truth. This is my job. I have to "show up" at the table and get it done-even if I'm not feeling especially creative today, even if it's raining outside, even if there are household chores to do, if I'm going to create-I have to DO it.

While "designing stuff" is my job right now, I still need to apply some of the same things that help me get my designing projects done to my work habits with my personal scrapbooking. I have to "show up" at my scrap table. I have to get the photos out and I have to play. Just staring at it, reorganizing supplies is not going to get it done.

One of the wisest quotes that I learned in the summer painting class I took was shared with me by my intructor-Wendell. (See photo of Wendell painting in the Amana Colonies above). I don't want to guess how old Wendell really is... I'm sure he has been painting longer than I have been alive-AMAZING man and teacher! But, he said you don't have to wake up everyday and say "Today, I'm going to make a painting or two paintings or whatever. Instead, say to yourself 'Today, I'm going to do SOME painting'." I've been applying that to my work so often lately...not I have to get 3 layouts done today or at this crop, but "Today, I'm going to do some scrapbooking."

My "Scrapbook with Passion Tip of the Day"...

Go "Do SOME scrapbooking today."

Passionate Beginnings

"Tell me-what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Today...today, I'm trying something new-BLOGGING. I'm not usually one to jump onto the latest technology. I am scared when it comes to programs I don't know. But, for the cause of scrapbooking- I have decided to figure it out. I've rarely meet an art supply I'm afraid to experiment with so the computer should be no different. And, so I have decided to blog.

I hope to use this as a place to share my thoughts, opinions on the scrapbooking market, cool new stuff I've discovered in my artistic journey, books I'm reading and any bits of new information about what's happening at Scrapbook with Passion. For those of you who are curious about what Scrapbook with Passion is all about-let me fill you in.

Scrapbook with Passion is the name of my art studio. I am currently authoring a book on scrapbooking techniques, so you might see me discussing the ups and downs of my new life as an "author". I also design products for the scrapbooking and craft market so I may discuss "my life as a designer" stuff- what has led me to this point in my career, and thoughts about the future of the industry. Maybe, I will share some of the thoughts or tidbits from my speaking engagements as well.

One of my main goals at Scrapbook with Passion is to help every scrapbooker look and feel like an artist. I don't think very many of us look at our scrapbooks as ART. For so many years I have almost felt the need to apologize for the fact that I scrapbook. You know-someone asks you at a party the dreaded "What do you do?" "Well, I have three boys, I teach art one afternoon a week and I scrapbook." After I actually signed a book contract, my friends around me started to add to these conversations stuff like "she is writing a book". For the first time, it was like my work was somehow validated. Now, finally it is important. But, what about the 7-8 years I have spent scrapbooking and teaching in my local scrapbook store??? As a scrapbooking community, we need to embrace the idea that we ARE "scrapbook artists". We need to know what that is, we need to know what that means about how we approach our work and we need to share those ideas with others.

I think this blogging thing could be fun...