WCS: 2009 was kind of a rough year for scrapbooking
in many ways. Or was it? Now that the dust has settled, how are you
feeling about 2009?
CZ: 2009 WAS a bit freaky
in many respects as far as scrapbooking goes, and it got very personal
for me when I was laid off of my job at Simple Scrapbooks
magazine. Not that it was a shocker that the magazine went under. You
can only run so few ads for so long and survive in publishing. Still…it
was a reminder that no job is safe in this day and age.
On the flip side, for me…initially I had no idea what I would do. With all that's happened since then—teaching more classes at Big Picture Scrapbooking, creating products for Designer Digitals, designing eBooks for Ella Publishing—I've begun to see the lay off as a kick to my overall creative life in scrapbooking. This has been a really good thing for me.
However, it is because of the great connections made during my years at Simple Scrapbooks that I've been able to continue pursuing a life inside of the scrapbooking industry. For that, I'm extremely grateful.
WCS: Why
did you decide to take the plunge into designing your own products for
Designer Digitals? How has that experience changed your perspective
about scrapbooking?
CZ: Having seen the type of
things Ali Edwards was doing—digital templates featuring great design
and great concepts—I finally decided to take the plunge and learn more
about digital design for scrapbooking. The result has been a complete
recharge as far as my passion for story telling, design and photo
taking goes.
After working at the magazine for five years,
admittedly, I was a bit burned out on the hobby. This foray into
digital has reinvigorated me and reminded me what I love most: good
design paired with great stories. Designing templates for Designer
Digitals challenges me to create smart looks that encourage, not only
good design, but good storytelling as well.
I've been a hybrid
scrapbooker, combining digital elements with real life scrapbooking
elements, since I started in 2001. It's been fun to see what I can make
solely in the digi realm, as well as find ways to create hybrid
concepts out of purely digital products.
WCS: How have you changed as a scrapbooker since your early days?
CZ:
I'm less obsessed with it. I don't scrapbook every single day of my
life, and believe me, in 2001, there were very few days when I didn't
scrapbook. I think I have a very healthy outlook on saving stories. I
know that I can't save it all, nor do I want to try. I want to enjoy
the process when it inspires me from an organic place; that whole, "I
have to write this down NOW" feeling.
WCS: Last May, Stacy [Julian] ran a series on her personal blog called "When You Teach a Friend to Scrapbook."
It was a great collection of tips and common sense advice. How about
you? When you teach a friend to scrapbook, what do you tell her?
CZ:
I try to tell her it doesn't have to be an all or nothing venture, that
you can save your stories in many different ways. Maybe it's just a
Favorite Photos of the Year type of album, and that's it. Maybe it's a
story book created at Shutterfly,
or another online service. Maybe it's just a school days album. Maybe
it's a hopes and dreams type of journal with no photos of any kind.
Scrapbooking can be so many things. To pigeonhole it is to remove all
the different possibilities.
Even if it's just putting photos
into an album with a few lines of description, I try to tell her that
it can be that simple and still have incredible value.
WCS: You're currently keeping yourself quite busy with Design Your Life
at BPS, designing original product for Designer Digitals, designing at
Ella Publishing Co., and blogging. Do you have any other plans up your
sleeve for 2010?
CZ: I plan to run for public
office, become a certified yoga instructor, and train for the Boston
Marathon this year... (of course, I'm joking.)
You know, 2010 is
the year of flexing my creative muscles again, reminding myself of what
I love—stories, photos and design—and finding ways to inspire others to
feel that love, too.
I'm hoping to teach more workshops, and very likely will be running my Me: the Abridged Version
workshop again at Big Picture Scrapbooking. If I do nothing else than
get a few more women to focus exclusively on telling their own unique
stories, I'll feel like I accomplished something important in this
industry. As you know, our stories really DO matter.
That, and I'd love to lose some of my muffin top.
WCS: Our
theme this month at WCS is "Favorites." How about you tell us a few of
yours? They can be current or all-time favorites. We're not picky. Feel
free to elaborate or include visuals when applicable. Or add other
favorites I didn't list.
WCS: Favorite pen.
CZ: Zig writer.
WCS: Favorite patterned paper.
CZ: BasicGrey.
WCS: Favorite first stop on the internet each morning.
CZ: Facebook.
[ed
note: if you haven't already imagined this like a lightning speed
round, go back and start from the beginning of the favorites section.
See?]
WCS: Favorite thing to eat for dinner.
CZ: Anything that has to be served in a bowl.
WCS: Favorite album listened to in 2009.
CZ: Owl City, Ocean Eyes.
WCS: Favorite book read in 2009.
CZ: The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan.
WCS: Favorite movie screened in 2009.
CZ: Up.
Thanks, Cathy : )
