First, let me apologize if you are sick of hearing about Project Life. It’s just everywhere these days and I can’t help but make comparison when it comes to my own scrapbooking… mostly because I’m searching for a system and routine. Scrapbookers like Ali Edwards and Cathy Zielske are sharing their albums online, giving Project Life a lot of credibility and momentum…and I’ve been a fan for some time. For programmers out there, you can think of it like a modular framework.
But of course, I don’t actually have the Project Life system myself. I thought I could emulate it with the materials I already own. However, I’ve been spending a whole lot of time and truthfully, struggling with the process of sewing page protectors designing my own cards, printing, trimming, putting it all back together. I wasn’t exactly saving time. I soon realized that printing photos to cut them apart then putting them back into pockets…was totally redundant.
We do many things for the sake of design, aesthetics and preference… but I started to wonder what the heck I was really going for in scrapbooking. Yet again, I found it uncomfortable…trying to fit my life into someone else’s “way” of scrapbooking.
If I want to put in photos, write a note and include ephemera – all in a quick and easy way, isn’t that just plain ol’ traditional scrapbooking? You know, the traditional albums you often see in movies with photos in a book, along with captions. The Project Life system defines certain areas for titling, photos, journaling… has a dated organization, etc… it looks prettier and more modern… but it’s not rocket science after all.
I had to wipe my mind clean and start over. What is scrapbooking to me? What do I like and want to preserve? Do I even care about page protectors? I had to stop focusing on details, like needing pocket pages. Why can’t I put my ephemera and photos on a piece of cardstock and add that into my album? No pockets needed. Why not take it a step further and just create digital collages, since I have to print my photos anyway. So it’s digital scrapbooking right?
All that got me thinking about the amount of time it takes to fill in your pockets and pages. Is it any less time than someone using templates in digital scrapbooking? Is it any less time that those who scrapbooks traditional page layouts pretty darn fast anyway? I suppose it’s not about the time. It’s about the preference. What do I want?
I guess that is the question. I’ve been typing out this post, trying to organize my own thoughts…over and over again. Wondering if I make any sense or not. Hmm. I just need to do, right? All this to say, I couldn’t concentrate on scrapbooking… so I decided to redesign this blog. It’s been in the works… why not now?!
So please excuse the dust, as I jigger things around. Until next time…
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4 Comments
You’re right on the money with this one, Linda. Project Life is everywhere and it does look so cool and flexible and a fun way to approach the task of memory keeping. But as I looked into buying the different size page protectors and the digi version of the cards and papers at jessicasprague.com, I couldn’t help but think, that this print/cut/assembly was more trouble than I wanted to go to. When I have an idea for a layout, I’ll scrap it digitally. (I’ve never been a paper scrapper). When I want to play with paper, I’ll make a card, a mini-album or a baby gift. I feel proud for not getting swept up in the popularity of this Project Life trend and for realizing (thankfully before shelling out the big $$) that going hybrid like that isn’t for me. Congrats to you, if you choose to spend this P.Life time elsewhere.
Thanks so much for your comment. It took me a while to realize that I was chasing something, I didn’t even want. Although I like the idea of Project Life, I certainly don’t have to conform to it…just because it’s popular! And you are right, that depending on how we scrap… it’s not necessarily a time saver. It really just depends on the individual!
First of all, I LOVE hearing and seeing you explore the options with this project. It inspires m. It’s so much nicer to me, so much more three dimensional than just seeing perfect page after perfect page of other’s finished projects and not knowing what the decision process was. When you look at the different Project Lifes out there, you start to believe that life just suddenly comes in perfect 2×3″ chunks so people can just slide them into their pockets. I know that sounds insane, but does that make any sense? I’m glad there’s a few bloggers being honest that it still takes so much WORK to get it all to fit!
I’m still sticking with my art journal as a way to do my own style of Project Life. I know if I start another thing, it will suddenly become a huge mental dilemma of what goes where, which goes to art journal (which is kind of my record of life as well as what I am feeling and exploring…) and what goes to PL. I like just having one central place, right now, for everything. I can just open my journal and DO.
I totally know what you mean. I think it applies to many things in life, because what gets published…is the finished product. You don’t always get to see the process…even online there is an illusion – although you think of blogs as personal. You see perfect lives, perfect projects, perfectly composed photos… etc. It’s been talked about before, but it’s true…that you don’t always see the mistakes, learnings, and struggles. We get jaded!
I really do love your art journal method, but I know that I’m not an in order type of person…so having an already bound book would drive me a bit insane. Maybe because I’m still trying to do it all, so it remains to be seen…who knows what will happen! I always try to consolidate and focus, but my mind wanders!
I still love the idea and the mission of Project Life… I think the results just might turn out different for every person.