Jason Fried, founder and president of 37signals.com, coined the phrase,
His website has nothing at all to do with scrapbooking, but his concepts can be easily adapted and applied to what we do here at Digital Scrapper.
It’s the idea that creative momentum is a precious commodity that we all possess in some measure and that indecision is the one thing that’s guaranteed to stop this momentum in its tracks.
Yikes! So where do I get creative momentum, and how do I keep that ugly “indecision” cloud from raining on my parade? Well, here are a few thoughts from my world, but this is in no way an exhaustive list. I look forward to hearing YOUR thoughts and formulas for success in the comments!
3 Ways To Keep Creative Momentum
Keep It Short. As your options grow, so will your chances of becoming indecisive. Scrap your pages from a single kit. You can do this, trust me. I do it every day.
Think about it. You are like me; I know you are. You have a bazillion scrapbook kits in your arsenal. Sixty-five percent of those contain a pretty little flower. Don’t go flower shopping in your stash. It’s a trap. It will drag you down and wear you out faster than a two-year-old drinking Kool-aid. Use the flower in your chosen kit and keep your momentum moving.
Bypass Perfection. If you are waiting for the perfect moment to create the perfect page containing the perfect photo with the perfect kit . . . don’t. Perfection is the #1 stumbling block for creative momentum. In the words of Nike, “Just do it!”
Think about it. You cannot wait for the perfect moment. It will never come. Your grandchildren do not need the perfect photo or page. They just want to hear a memory told from the heart of their grandmother. And, there is no such thing as the perfect kit. Use one you love and get it done!
Rest & Repeat. Indecision creeping in? It happens to me. It will happen to you, too. Don’t let the gravity of indecisiveness keep you tied up at the bottom of the creativity tank.
Think about it. Sometimes the only way to break free of the cloud of indecision is to get up and walk away. Your momentum is already broken. This is not an admission of failure. It’s an attempt to break free from the forces that work against you. Take a walk. Get some sunshine on your face. Fold some laundry. After a short break, press the go button and start again.
So what about you? How do YOU keep creative momentum going? I’d love to hear what you have to say!
Jen White
23 Responses
Terri L Fullerton
Oh, Jen. What wonderful advice for me, too. I’m guilty of everyone of your momentum killers. I’m the queen of using 500 kits. I do have a pretty organized stash in Bridge, but it still can be overwhelming. And the perfection thing. . . oh, yes, yes, yes. That’s just not a good trait to have EVER, but alas some of us are A+ students of that group. I’ve bookmarked your suggestions and will be back to visit them again. You are such a wealth of knowledge!! Thanks so much.
Barbara Hewitt
Totally agree with your comments Jen and guilty of all of them at one time or another. “Sleeping on it” seems to also work for me. I keep a notepad and pen on my night stand. When a light bulb moment happens while I am asleep, I jot down a word or two without turning on the light. I can then go back to sleep without trying to keep the idea in my head making my sleep restless or worse yet having the idea totally fly away.
Linda
Thank you for these tips. I really like your ideas for creative slump. They all apply to me. All the solutions I have used at one time or another. But I have most trouble keeping to one kit alone. Sometimes I make a duplicate of my page and start rearranging or adding stuff. I try things and see how I like them. Then I haven’t lost my original. It lets me see what I like and don’t like. I feel like I waste the most time keeping stuff organized. Like new kits.
Jen White
Great feedback, Linda!
I like your idea of duplicating the page and then playing with different ideas. I do something similar — I group all the original layers, then duplicate the group and hide the original. then I can play with the duplicate group while retaining the original idea.
And you’re right…organizing is so time consuming. But just imagine how time consuming scrapbooking would be if you were not organized. 😀
LOVE having you in our community, Linda!
Nanci25
THANK YOU JEN! While I’ve been quiet in the site, I’ve been scrapping almost everyday. With all the responsibilities I currently own, remembering these three tips will help me stay on course and keep the grandkid’s memory books current! Love to all my fellow scrappers!
RuthAnn
Guilty, guilty, guilty on all accounts. I go searching, searching for various items to put on my pages. I also say, when I have it all organized it will be easier. It’s never going to get ALL done. I need to just pick a kit and go for it. Indecision is also a slow downer. Thanks for the suggestions.
Joan R
Jen, you are one of my favorites. I agree with most you are saying but I don’t like the one kit. I have brought all my kits into a seperate catalog in Photo Elements Organizer. There I have all my papers together with subtags by color. Same with flower, etc. It is so easy to see if I have a photomask that strikes me as working to click on that tag then to try to find a kit that inspires me. But computers always allow us to do most tasks in several ways to you click on the copy icon or do you do ctrl c. I only wish I could organize my house and clean it with my computer. Or at least bring some of this organization to my real life. LOL Keep inspiring me.
Jen White
Joan, you are a blessed woman to have your stash organized! That makes all the difference, doesn’t it? You go girl. Housework can wait! 😉
Donna (mrs v)
Yes I am guilty of all of the above especially searching through all the kits looking for that elusive element.Such a time waster only to find I’ve forgotten why I wanted it for!
Kristy
So this is what it feels like to receive a blog post comment, huh? Fun! Thanks for leaving my first official blog comment ever! 🙂
Keep up the great work!
Jen White
YAY! Glad you got the comment I left on your blog! 😀
Jinny_10
I find that if I am stuck, if I put my page aside for awhile, I can usually find an answer. Sometimes it’s changing it quite a bit, sometimes it’s just adding one more thing. A fresh approach seems to work for me.
Connie
I take a shower. I don’t know why it works but it does. When I was working, they would ask where do you come up with these ideas. Shower – no way do you do that. It works for me. Sometimes I use the treadmill for awhile and it does the same thing. As your idea says – just do something different to get your mind relaxed and working again. Shopping or window shopping would be good too.
Jen White
That is SO true, Connie. The shower is always a great place to think without thinking. 😉
Sara D
You know I like to organize…Procrastination 101…I got the message! I am really liking the Power Scrapbooking Class. I’m thinking it is actually going to make me scrap pages. I’m impressed with this “crew” at Digital Scrapper!!!!
Dorothy
Jen, this article is so timely! I was in such a scrap booking slump when I signed up for the Power Scrapbooking class. I’m learning some of these principles in the class and it’s really helped me get going again. I especially like the part about grandchildren not needing a perfect page, but memories from their grandmother. When I saw my granddaughters this weekend I took them pages I had created (some in class). They were so excited! They ran and got their “Adventure Books” (my oldest gdd coined the phrase), put in the pages and then sat down and looked through their entire books over again. They never get tired of this. I’m learning that for me, simplicity is the key – just a few photos and elements.
Jen White
Perfect illustration, Dorothy. I LOVE the idea of your “Adventure Books.” I’m going to tuck that away and run with it some day. 😀
Donna J
How true – this is something I struggle with and your subject really motivated me this morning to “just do it”. I have been wanting to post photos on Flickr for a long time so now I am going to “just do it”.
Jen White
Yay! You go girl!
Penelope Arden
Procrastination is the key! Put if off until tomorrow! Works every time. Well, nearly every time.
The Power Scrapbooking course asked what is your biggest time waster and told me to find a way to fix it Deciding on the layout. Deciding on the pictures. Deciding. Sitting at the computer not deciding. Concentrating and getting a lot of first class frustration.
So, leave the computer. Clean the house. Bath the dog. Practice the flute. Don’t even think about a page until cooking dinner. It is amazing how much easier the ideas come while not concentrating. Peeling a carrot? Hey, I haven’t used orange for a while. Wow, I know an element that would look good on a page with some orange somewhere. And on I go.
By the time dinner is on the table at least one two page set is in my mind. Some days more.
When tomorrow comes, I am set to go. Beware. It is a vicious circle. I’ll be cooking dinner again tonight.
Jen White
Yes! That whole thing about indecision can really drag us down!! Let’s hope you find some mojo in your macaroni tonight. 😀
Jessie
Jen,
Thanks so much for the 3 tips. I’m GUILTY of all of them and my scrapbooking has shown it lately!
Jessie 🙂
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