Scrapbook-izers Anonymous

Those faithful few of you who’ve followed my blog from the beginning know how long it takes me to complete a project. I’m deluding myself if I say I’ve got it all figured out. I make no pretense. I do have an occasional breakthrough or personal triumph, but eventually I start to question my own self-awareness. I will depart this life one day – and what will my legacy be? A pile of scrapbooks and albums with missing pages, blank pages tagged with sticky flags, haphazardly strewn stacks of embellishments and memorabilia, and a work table surrounded by the leavings of my latest temporarily abandoned project and the faint odor of adhesive. It could rival the domestic lifestyle of Walter Sickert.

How much better is this than a container- or computer-full of unorganized, unmarked pictures?

This subject came up at one of my recent crops. One of my good friends asked me point blank why I think it so hard to finish some projects. She tactfully grouped all of us into the same category, but I knew she meant me.

She’s right. At any given point, I might have four or five different projects going on at one time. Believe it or not, I don’t plan that; it’s just a symptom of a VERY short attention span. I have the memory retention of a dog. Doug from the movie UP comes to mind here: Hi, there. My name is Doug. My master made this collar so I may talk - Squirrel?! – Hi, there. My focus constantly migrates from books to movies to scrapbooking to copious miscellaneous side projects (e.g. gift tags, Valentines, paper albums, greeting cards, borders, journaling boxes, writings). I can’t even use the same shower gel for more than a few days at a time without experiencing ennui.

Have you ever started a book only to have several weeks go by without ever picking it up again? You suddenly feel disengaged from the story, forget who the characters are and wonder what brought them to the page where your book bungee has nestled itself. Then you contemplate starting over or giving up on it entirely.

Let’s just call it: I’m a scrapbook-izer with an insatiable need for variety. I like to play the field. My commitment falters because I’m tempted by the flirtations of newly purchased supplies, project ideas, or recently experienced events.

I have good intentions, but, frankly, the novelty begins to wane. Some days, after weeks of neglect, I’ll walk by my work table on the way to the kitchen and think: Ugh. Do I still have to finish that? What inevitably follows are the haunts of past projects that I never called back. I probably have enough now to warrant keeping a little black book. Oooh – a little black scrap book! Sounds like a good diversion. Anyone know where can I find a gently used genie lamp?

In part, it’s what we in the scrapbooking world reluctantly admit as scrapper’s block. That really happens to some people. But, for me, it’s just more of a doctor’s note excusing me to put personal projects off indefinitely. After about the 30th page or so, I’m suddenly spent – fresh out of ideas or embellishments or motivation.

Do any of you belong in this camp or am I the self-proclaimed leader and sole member of the club? Is there any cure for it?

To alleviate myself from the commitment, maybe I’ll put it to vote and let my two or three readers decide which project I should complete (list below).

Comment or message me to vote. My future generations are depending on you.

1. 2001/2002 Years in Review
2. Biltmore Estate girls’ weekend
3. Hawaii Revisited
4. 2009 Walls Yearbook
5. Blank, tagged pages from so-called completed albums
6. Project I can’t remember still in progress