Zen of Scrapbooking

In Body + Soul magazine a few months ago, there was an article about the Zen of Scrapbooking. The author, Genevieve Morgan, wrote about what makes scrapbooking feel important to us. She said, “Part photo album, part journal, part family genealogy, part art project, they distill your life’s meaning in an accessible and intensely personal way—and create record of it for the future.”

When I wrote about being a life artist, this is what I was thinking of. It’s a chance to create something new, play around, try different things. You can really look deeply at what’s important in your life and make something of it. The idea is to mindfully choose what you want to use make memories permanent for others (possibly even your descendants) to share in pieces of your life.

I’ve spent a lot of time making traditional scrapbooks, documenting my children’s lives, and our lives together as a married couple. I’ve made a wedding album and several travel albums. I understand the elements and how they go together. Now I’d like to stretch out more and do pages about my thoughts and feelings, with or without accompanying photographs. I’d like to try different techniques, outside my usual realm. I’m ready to move forward again.