This week in the mid month newsletter, I published an article about jumpstarting your journaling. While this is a great method of getting started when your creativity seems to be lacking, some people are just not that inspired by words. Others need something a little more tangible.
I'm a sketcher. I love sketches and when I can't get going, sketching layouts and advertisements is a way for me to get my mind moving in the right direction. You may not be a sketcher, but you likely can accept the challenge. Let it be a starting place for you! Choose a sketch randomly. If you have a sketch book such as Becky Fleck's new Page Map book (found HERE in A Walk Down Memory Lane) simply try this.
Since Becky's book contains many different sized layouts and you want this to be an easy start, select the section of the book that has your favorite sized layout to scrap. You're needing inspiration not more frustration. Once you've gotten the right section of the book open, close your eyes and randomly select a page and point. When you open your eyes, the sketch closest to your finger is your starting point. Challenge yourself to start even if you're not feeling it. Remember, challenges are meant to stretch you and when you're missing your creativity, doing anything scrapping is stretching, right?
Now get started! Choose the number of required photos, then select your papers. Next take some time to consider the necessary embellishments you would like to use and keep going. Once you've gotten past this part, make yourself sit down and create.
Sometimes the biggest obstacle when you're stuck is just the getting started. Often if we can just begin those first few steps, the rest falls into place. If, after you've done this, you're still not there, you can go to the next step, which is challenges. Challenges are everywhere but finding a challenge that also shows an example is often a great way to get started. The Challenge Forum on The Scrapbook Site includes challenges by the Design Team each month and includes at least one example to help you. Randomly select one of the challenges and just GO! Dive in! Jump in with both feet and get wet! Often, making ourselves do this is just the challenge we need.
Now, if all this doesn't work, and you've gone through the magazines and idea books you can get your hands on, and the inspiration gallery isn't doing it for you at The Scrapbook Site, then get dirty! That's right, get knee and elbow deep into your supplies. Start organizing your papers, your embellishments, your chipboard, your alphas and your stamps. Take a good look at your things and see what needs to be cleaned, moved to a better place, sorted by color, purged or maintained. Sometimes getting into our goodies is all it takes.
I have every faith that one of these methods will work to help you get out of your slump. If you're having trouble recovering your mojo, give one of them a shot and don't forget to share your results in the gallery! I know they're going to be wonderful!
Smiles, Lissa
