Official Get out of the Doghouse Day

Did you know that today is official "Get out of the Doghouse Day?"  Isn't it funny that they have an official day like that?   It got me thinking though.  Have you let yourself out of the doghouse about your scrapbooking and crafting?  I'm betting you haven't.

Let's see if any of these ring true....

Do you feel guilty because you are "so behind" in your scrapbooking?
Do you feel badly when you take a weekend a way to get your crafting done?
Does the pile-up of unorganized supplies in your crafting room make you cringe?

All of these feelings are normal but today I want you let yourself out of the doghouse on each and every one of them.  Scrapbooking, cardmaking, and papercrafting are not going to bring you joy if you put unrealistic expectations on yourself.  Here's the reality....

It's unlikely that you will ever catch up in your scrapbooking because time does not stand still and you are making new memories and taking new pictures each and every day.  Accept that fact and just work on the pictures that mean the most.  Every photo and every memory DOES NOT have to be scrapbooked and believe it or not, they don't have to be scrapbooked in order either!   Take it easy on yourself and do what you can do and let that guilt go hang out somewhere else.

When I was in MOPS (mother's of preschoolers), we had a speaker who talked about moms being like juice boxes, they get squeezed and squeezed with every request, every errand, every trip to the grocery store until there is not much juice left.  There is a way to fill your own juice box up though.  Take some time for yourself!  Do something that makes you feel refreshed and ready to go again and if that's a weekend crop or a cardmaking workshop with your friends, then that's what you need!  You are replenishing yourself so you are free to give again to your family and friends.  Go have some fun!

Ever heard of the FLYLADY?  She's a semi-famous internet star who helps people with their housekeeping duties.   I've followed her for years and so many of her techniques in getting people to clean their house work for crafting too.  One of the best is to do your organizing in 15 minute segments.  Organization can be overwhelming but if you don't look at it as something you have to do in one day, it will be less so.  Get yourself a timer and tackle that scrapbook room in small bits.  Turn the timer to 15 minutes and work on your room for just that amount of time.  When the timer goes off, stop!  This is very important!  If you don't stop then you have broken your promise to yourself and you'll begin to resent the timer idea.  You have to believe that you only will work 15 minutes.  The next day, do it again, just 15 minutes.  I know you're thinking that it won't work but you won't believe how much you can do in that amount of time.  Once you are seeing the progress, try using your timer twice a day.  Believe me, it works!

So, there are three ways to let yourself out of that smelly old doghouse and bring back the joy of your crafting.   Hope it helps!

Wonderful Article on Creativity

http://12most.com/2012/03/13/12-striking-tendencies-creative-people/

12 Most Striking Tendencies of Creative People by Kim Phillips


Ever wonder what makes those wacky, creative types tick? How is it that some people seem to come up with all kinds of interesting, original work while the rest of us trudge along in our daily routines?
Creative people are different because they operate a little differently. They:

1. Are easily bored

A short attention span isn’t always a good thing, but it can indicate that the creative person has grasped one concept and is ready to go on to the next one.

2. Are willing to take risks

Fearlessness is absolutely necessary for creating original work, because of the possibility of rejection. Anything new requires a bit of change, and most of us don’t care for change that much.

3. Don’t like rules

Rules, to the creative person, are indeed made to be broken. They are created for us by other people, generally to control a process; the creative person needs freedom in order to work.

4. Ask “what if…”

Seeing new possibilities is a little risky, because it means that something will change and some sort of action will have to be taken. Curiosity is probably the single most important trait of creative people.

5. Make lots of mistakes

A photographer doesn’t just take one shot, and a composer doesn’t just write down a fully realized symphony. Creation is a long process, involving lots of boo-boos along the way. A lot goes in the trash.

6. Collaborate

The hermit artist, alone in his garret, is a romantic notion but not always an accurate one. Comedians, musicians, painters, chefs all get a little better by sharing with others in their fields.

7. Are generous

Truly creative people aren’t afraid to give away their hard-earned knowledge. The chef can give you the recipe because she knows you won’t make it like she does anyway.

8. Are independent

Stepping off the beaten path may be scary, but creative people do it. Children actually do this very well but are eventually trained to follow the crowd.

9. Experiment

Combining things that don’t normally go together can result in brilliance or a giant mess. Trial and error are necessary to the creative process.

10. Motivate themselves

There does seem to be a spark that creative people share, an urgent need to make things. They are willing to run the inherent risks of doing something new in order to get a new result.

11. Work hard

This is probably the most overlooked trait of creative people. People who don’t consider themselves to be creative assume that people who are creative are magical, that ideas just pop into their heads effortlessly. Experienced creative people have developed processes and discipline that make it look easy.

12. Aren’t alone

The good news is that it’s possible for everyone to be creative. There are creative accountants, creative cooks, creative janitors, creative babysitters. Any profession or any hobby can be made into a creative pursuit by embracing and using creative traits.
Do you consider yourself creative? (Say yes.) Finding something you’re really passionate about will help you take a chance and might just result in something wildly creative.