My Creative Process
For me, scrapbooking is all about stories. Whether it's a sentence or a paragraph, I always start with a story. Once I've got a story to tell, I find a design to match. I collect catalogs, magazines, clothing tags, junk mail--anything that could inspire a page. Sometimes I look for photos before pulling out products, but more often, I get started without knowing which photos I'll use. It's an atypical approach, I know, but it's one that works for me. Once I sit down to create, I want things to go smoothly, and my space helps to ensure that happens.
My Creative Space
I used to have a beautiful craft room all to myself, but I treated it like a walk-in closet. When I wanted to scrapbook, I hauled everything (and I mean everything!) down to my family room, where I could be near my husband and watch my favorite TV shows. A few months ago, my husband suggested we combine our offices into a joint office suite. At first, I resisted. Give up my room? I'd never get it back! But then we started planning, and pretty soon, I knew that transitioning to a shared space was the right thing to do. As I planned my half, I focused on my creative process and tried to address all of the roadblocks that had prevented me from working in my previous office. Now the shared office is my favorite room in the house, and here's why.
This is my half of the room. (The tabletop isn't always this clean.)
This is my husband's half of the room. Now I can be with him and watch my favorite shows, too.
What I Love about My Space
1. My counter-height desk. I have a hard time sitting still when I'm creating. I feel more comfortable and more productive when I'm standing, so this kitchen island from IKEA is the perfect desk for me. The side you can't see includes nine drawers that are about 13 W x 20 D--perfect for scrapbooking supplies.
2. Everything's within arm's reach. With my desk in the center of the room, I can spin 360 degrees and reach everything from tools to paper to embellishments. This definitely speeds up my creative process.
3. My inspiration pile and basket. When I'm working on a page, I often run across appealing paper and embellishments that don't fit my current project. To save time on future projects, I pull these items from my stash and add them to the pile next to my printer. When I begin a new project, I start here. It's a huge timesaver.
4. Drawers and baskets keep things looking organized without much fuss. My toddler loves to get into my craft supplies, but in a matter of minutes, I can toss everything back into place. (Just don't look in the drawers.)
5. My oversize closet. Technically, I'm supposed to share the closet, but my husband hasn't used it yet. This is where I store tools I don't use very often, as well as unfinished projects. (I've got a lot of those.)
6. The color of the walls. Finding a gender-neutral color that my husband and I could agree on wasn't easy, but the effort was worth it. This is the most peaceful room in my house.
Even though I share my space with my husband, I know it's still more than many scrapbookers have. So I hope that what you'll take away from this post isn't a longing for more space but an excitement to make even a small space fit your process and your style. If you need a little help through the process, check out The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker by Wendy Smedley and Aby Garvey.
Now that you know a little about me, tell me a little about you. What do you love most about your scrapbook space? How have you made your space fit your process? Share what you love about your space. Or share what you hate, and set a goal to resolve the problem. I'm cheering for you!
