Tip of the Month

Let's talk about creativity. How do you get yourself in a creative mood? What makes your creative juices flow? Can you put yourself in a creative mood or is it just something that happens? Share your thoughts and ideas.

kathy m from San Jose CA writes...
I\'m anxious to read everyone\'s thoughts on this topic. I see a lot of people post that they don\'t feel creative or in the mood to scrap. Let\'s share some ideas and get everyone scrappin\'! I think creativity sometimes just hits you like a bolt of lightening. The key is to write it down when it does. I have a notebook that I write down journalling or layout ideas when when they come to me. I then use that to refer to when I want to create layouts. Usually the ideas need more work, but its enough to get me started. What ideas/thoughts do you have?

Meesie from Chambersburg, PA writes...
I tend to get the most creative when I\'m in a crunch or new photos are delivered. When I am not in the mood to scrap, I turn on the TV to help distract me. I can\'t really say where my ideas come from because I\'m always in some mode of creativity in my life. It just depends on what\'s happening at the time I guess. If I have a crop, I try to scrap after people leave because I\'m feeling inspired then. My most creative times are weekends from 10-midnight or Saturday afternoons. If I had a whole day without other things to do, I\'d probably start sooner.

lana from ohio writes...
I don\'t feel that I am the \"creative type\", so one of the things I do is to go back through pages I\'ve done in the past ...... I often find something I have done before and wonder why I haven\'t done it lately .... and go ahead and do it. I also look at supplies I haven\'t used in a while, or rubber stamps, and challenge myself to use them finally - I will flip through some magazines and try to find a technique i want to try.

GBS from Baton Rouge, LA writes...
I am most creative when I get new photos! But when I am in a slump, I start to go through all of my photos until something \"hits me.\" Something will usually get me then. If that doesn\'t work (which isn\'t often), I just have to put it aside until later. Photos are the only thing that inspire me to scrap.

Dina in AZ writes...
When I need to get into a creative mood, I give myself permission to sit down and do whatever I want. I set myself free from the \"rules\"--like what I create must look good..LOL!! I let myself experiment. I get out paint and just paint tons of backgrounds, or I get out an art supply I haven\'t tried in awhile and just \"play.\" Often from that play comes an idea that I can pursue that turns into something I\'m really satisfied with. One thing I love about paper arts is that it\'s only paper! At least, that\'s what I remind myself. If it turns out bad, I can throw it away and start over.

Chris in IN from Indiana writes...
I get creative when I look at friend\'s albums. The new fresh ideas get me going. Also, sharing my new layouts with my family gets me inspired. Seeing their faces look at what Ive created make me keep going on and push me to get things done.

amber from trenton texas writes...
i usually get creative when i am taking photos so as soon as i get home i go to my sb room and look at the photos i have developed ready to scrap-sometimes i will put on some music in my sb room or light a favorite candle then go through my stash i will usually find something in there that inspires me to do a layout and i am off and running again--

Karen from Texas writes...
Cropping with my gal pals really helps to charge up my creativity. Also working toward a challenge really works. Doesn\'t matter if it is a contest entry, a challenge from Kathy M. to try a new technique or paper, etc. Just need a goal to shoot toward. If I find myself in scrappers block then I pull out BH\'s Creative Sketches book for inspiration.

mamichelle writes...
I always look through magazines or idea books to get me going. Then I start to look through my supplies to see what works with my photos. Just looking at all of the nice lo\'s in magazines/books gets me in the mood to create.

schneitm from Western MA writes...
I don\'t feel very creative compared to the ladies on this board so I usually look through magazines to get inspiration. But since the challenge has been up I have been keeping my eyes open for anything to inspire me. I recently saw a coffee cup at the store and thought ummm that might make an interesting layout page. So I would suggest looking at everything as a possibility and see what happens.

Barb from PA writes...
I get in the mood to scrap-book when I go to a 12 hour crop especially if I have been away from it for awhile and can\'t get into it. I pay money to go to these so I force myself to get ready and go but after I\'m there for awhile then I am in the mood to scrap for a few days afterward. It\'s when something else distracts me and I get away from it for a few days and then can\'t get back into it for awhile until I go to my crops again.

Gail from NJ writes...
When I\'m ready to scrap some photots, I often decide what supplies I\'m in the mood to use and not necessarily consider what would be best for the photos. Then I just try to make it work for the photos. For example, I may be in the mood to work with some patterned paper, or one of the qvc sets of papers and stickers. I find I\'m the most creative when I choose the supplies without trying to figure out what the best thing is for the photos.

Rinda from El Granada writes...
My creativity tends to come in a box . . . a pizza box to be exact. I find the Club Scrap papers and ideas a new source of inspiration every month! I also get creativity from my supplies. I\'ll look through them and find something that strikes my fancy and that I haven\'t used in a while (a stamp set, some magic mesh, etc.) I also get inspiration while I\'m sleeping or exercising. I\'ll often look throug my pix and stuff and then nod off or go to the gym and let something strike me there. Once I have an idea, the details usually flow in a very creative way once I start working. Good question!

Noli\'s Mom from Western Mass writes...
I don\'t \'try\' to be creative. I usually crop my photos first, focussing on the importance of each one. Then when I go to assemble the page I look for a paper color that compliments the group and commit it all to the page. I\'m not one to do a lot of decorating, I like my photos and words to be the highlight.

cyndee from gulf breeze, FL writes...
Sharing gets my creative juices flowing...Not only do I get inspired from and learn from other people and products, but it generates totally new ideas because I may pick only one aspect of what I learned from you or saw in your pages/techniques. Besides, you get to make memories (friends) while you are preserving memories!

luvspaper writes...
I am most creative when I get a chance to sit down and look at idea books and magazines. Not just scrapbooking ones though. I find that other magazines tend to spark ideas. I also find that sometimes I am trying to be too creative. And if I relax and walk away, but keep the layout in my head for a while, that when I come back it will be much fresher and \"work\" better than it would had I forced it. *Ü* ruth

SusieInTn writes...
I love colors and textures so the one sure thing that gets my creative side going is to pull out some of my colorful papers and embellishments. I just start playing around with color combinations and monochromatic looks- before I know it, I am ready to dig out photos and do some actual scrapping (even if I don\'t use the actual colors that got me inspired!).

DawninNoVa from Northern Virginia writes...
After 3 years of intense scrapping on a birth to graduation album and 2 duplicate debate albums, I felt pretty burned out. Last July I decided to join \"just one\" swap just for fun, and the next thing I knew, I had participated in over 25. That experience in itself has done more for my creativity than anything else. In those swaps I felt challenged to put in more effort than I normally do on my own pages, and for the first time was inspired to try slide mounts, tranparencies, fibers, buttons, ribbons, wire, metals, charms, mesh, deco squares, dry embossing, and quilling. (And I know at this point you\'re thinking, \"Where have you been?\" Guess I\'m a late bloomer!) My next project will be my very first venture into shabby chic. And seeing the talent and creativity of other ladies on the MB is also quite inspiring. Some other sources of inspiration for me are grouping, then gazing on my photos; daydreaming about my SB supplies; looking at the gallery on the veggie board; getting input -- read \"begging,\" -- from my DS for more pages; and simply wandering the aisles of any LSS.

Michelle Aguilar from Mesa, Arizona writes...
Well, like most moms I think we need a break first of all to get us in any mood to scrapbook. I like to make cards so much, and then I guess this paper excitement gets me into the mood. I never dreamed I would just love and have so much paper in my life. ha I like to just start scrapbooking and before you know it... I have finished a whole 12 month calendar. It is so relaxing to do this and you must have some form of jazz music or relaxing music on also, and perhaps a nice candle. I think you really need to set the stage first for your adventure in creativity, then you just let your juices flow.

Lin writes...
If I\'m uninspired, I take a handful of photos and walk around my LSS with them. I look for paper, etc. that picks up the colors in my photos and I always find accents that ARE \"just right\" instead of MAKING them be right from my current supply! If I do a couple of pages like this, I\'m back in the creative mode; having just seen a nice selection of stuff, it\'s all fresh in my mind again.

Donna Scraps from NC writes...
I am always inspired by the work of others; I like checking out the various galleries online. But my greatest inspiration comes from quiet time with God. He, being the Supreme Creator, inspires me through the Scripture and prayer to imitate Him. That\'s what art is in my mind. It is an attempt to bless God with the talents and resources He has given me. I believe whne GEnesis talks about being made in His image that one of those traits is the abililty to create originals. So next time you are stumped, I encourage you to find a bible and read Isaiah or Psalms or Song of Solomon. Donna

Cherie Stanley from SE Texas writes...
I re-organize my things to ge me out of a slump. I always find things I forgot I had or have been searching for. Magazines always help too. I check themout cover to cover searching for ideas. Maybe just a new color combination. New paper does it for me too! When I get new colors of paper I want to try them out imediately. But above all of this a clean scrap area does the most good for me. If I clean my space and prganize a little bit...pages with follow..LOL

Teresa Geiger from Ohio writes...
My life is ALWAYS very hectic. I work at least 40 hours a week in a HIGH stress job and then seem to spend every other waking hour working with my children. Since DH is only home on the weekends, I have made a point of setting special time for me on Sunday evenings. DH just naturally knows to preoccupy the children in other parts of the house while I go to the kitchen for my \"alone time\". I so look forward to Sunday evenings that I find myself thinking about what I am going to do \"next time\" during the work week. During the week while I\'m at work, I take my lunch breaks and go to different stores that sell scrap book supplies. I browse around to get ideas and pick up select few items only if they strike me as fitting into my pages. By the time Sunday evening rolls around, I am so excited to piece everything together that I lose myself in it. Now, this has been a VERY big step for me to take - setting special time just for me to scrap alone. First, I\'ve never liked to do it alone and secondly, I have always felt obligated to continue on with the cleaning and children. So, for me ~ the biggest \"creative hurdle\" was grasping on the mental concept that it is OK for me to set aside selfish time for myself! LOL =0) Once I\'m not feeling guilty ~ the creative juices just seem to flow.

Jaelyn Korsch writes...
I get creative because I have a very active imagination. When my imagination is not so active, I read some poetry and think of the beauty of nature. I am often inspired by reflecting on the blessing of family and friends in my life. Relationships in good times can be greatly inspiring.

Jette writes...
Not the greatest thing for my purse, but when I need inspiration, I SHOP! New products, even something as simple as a new piece of patterned paper gets my creative juices flowing. I don\'t always buy, but looking through an online store or the LSS gets me back in the scrappin mood more times than not.

Pam in PA writes...
When I just can\'t seem to get it together, I will treat myself to a brand new scrapbook magazine or idea book and maybe a few new scrapbook items with the promise to myself that I use at least one idea from the magazine and the new items right away. It also helps me to go to crops and see what other scrapbookers are working on -- they often inspire me.

Stacy in Austin writes...
Give me two kids asleep, the laundry done, and a BIG cup of S\'bucks coffee and I am ROCKIN\'! :-)

Lisa from Houston, Texas writes...
Three things: 1) When I am in a slump, I turn to another paper craft like card making or small albums as gifts. That usually gets me going. I can always use Thank You cards, so I make those. I also get a technique newsletter for stamping, and I try those a lot just to get the \"juices flowing\" 2) I am with Rinda here...I get tons of inspiration from Club Scrap. From the theme, to the colors, to the projects posted on the Yahoo Group, I am able to really stretch my creative outlet. 3) I clean my workspace after every page, card, project, etc. It really helps me recover my sense of balance, I am not searching all over for much used items, and I usually find something I had forgotten about as I put other things away.

Stephanie Paxman from Orange County, CA writes...
Whenever I find a layout online that I really like, or even a card or other cute picture, I copy the image to a Word document. Now I have a whole collection of samples and ideas saved on my computer that I can look at anytime, and they\'re there because I like them. They help inspire me with a new page to work on.

Rebecca Spears from Lancaster Ohio writes...
Whenever I need to get creative for my layouts I will look thruogh the clothes closets. Some of my best work has been inspired by my families clothing. This really works for me. The colors used in our clothing are often great combos to use for scrapbook layouts. I do this often when I want to do a layout of my husband or one of my two kids.

Jennifer from TX writes...
I get totally inspired when I shop for new scrapbooking products! LOL My philosophy is: If you feed you addiction, you will be more likely to use it! Nothing puts fresh ideas into me like going to a local scrap store or browsing new products online. Jennifer

GG from Washington writes...
A new source of ideas!!!!I found myself unexpectedly inspired a few weeks ago from a walk through a quilt shop. The fabrics in there AMAZED me and I came back the next day with a few sets of photos and bought mucho \"fat quarters\" to use on a small theme album. Adding braid and clasps as I went, these layouts took this little book to a cool new level that I\'d never achieved before. When I get all set up to scrap and can\'t seem to get going, I like to \'grease the scrappin\' wheels\" with nice music (I\'m a smooth jazz girl) and a cup of something yummy to drink. I love-love-love my cupholder that clamps onto my table! Cruising through galleries online, I print out thumbnails that go into an idea binder. I use these like BH sketches - noting the lines and colors mostly. I very rarely copy content. They are great jump starters. Online lyric finders are another really wonderful source of ideas and creativity for me. I like to find the lyrics of songs that mean something to me and before I know it, I have photos and embellishments in mind for a new creation. :-) Genevieve

Ann from Utah writes...
David talked about the Creative Havens Scrapbooking Armoire he bought for his wife. I have a friend who also has one. She also thinks it is wonderful. If you want the info, you can email me.

Michelle Aguilar from Mesa, Arizona writes...
I get so excited once I do start scrapbooking. I know it is harder sometimes to just start as you have to decide if the kitchen table is the only place, then you must clear it off for dinner time. I know most of us moms feel this way and this could be the reason we really don\'t get to scrapbook that much. Sometimes we just need more time with children. But, I know I just look at my albums and know it has to get done. I know I have way too many photos and keep taking them,(ha) and no one will get to treasurer these more then if I don\'t get busy and do my albums. I find the times when my children go to over nights at their friends or when they go to school. I think once you have the time, light a candle, put on some music you like and this will set the mood for you. Try this it really works, perhaps dance for a moment and then sit and scrap and remember to do all you can do to your best ability. The memories you have will last forever if you can try and get these done.

Mindy Smith-Pace writes...
My answer is simple. Everywhere around us are wonderful ideas. I just try hard to look around me and copy something I see. I also use scrapbook idea books and other magazines such as family fun or better homes and garden to get design ideas. Sometimes I get ideas for kid pages by looking in my child\'s backpack or in their room. My strangest place ever for an idea would be when I had not scrapped in a while and was about to have my third baby. All the sudden everything in the room could be the basis for a scrapbook page. I sketched ideas while having contractions. I remember thinking look at the clean steel lines on the equiptment, hmm, that color scheme on the tech\'s overcoat seemed to be perfect for a page or even things the doctor said sounded cute. Later I thought maybe I was in a drug induced haze but the ideas did actually work!

Barb in Buffalo from Barbara Kearney writes...
To get my creative juices I find some pictures that I really WANT TO SCRAP. Not just any pictures but something that will make a really FUN PAGE. Like children sleding, a picnic or holiday page. I also try to find some pictures for which I have all the materials and embellishments I need. I hate it when I get into a layout and find I need to make a special trip to the craft store.

Tracy *SBA* from Tomahawk writes...
I go to the internet and look at different layouts, or I dig out my scrapbook magazines and find different things I like in different layouts and then I finally come up with something I want to try. Or I dig threw my stash and find something I haven\'t used yet and that gets me going too. To find a way to work it into a layout.

Neece writes...
I don\'t know exactly \"what\" I want to create. Looking through magazines, idea books, and online forums usually helps me focus my creative energy toward a specific project. Also, sorting through my supplies helps inspire me to use my stash.

Neece from Tennessee writes...
OOps! My tip didn\'t post completely above, so here is the message in full... I\'m pretty much always in a creative mood. But sometimes I don\'t know exactly \"what\" I want to create. Looking through magazines, idea books, and online forums usually helps me focus my creative energy toward a specific project. Also, sorting through my supplies helps inspire me to use my stash.

Becky in KS from Halstead, KS writes...
When I just don\'t feel like scrapbooking, I will sit down and look at scrapbook magazines. That will usually inspire me to start. When I can\'t get myself going to create a layout, I use my idea book. After I\'ve read my scrapbook magazines, I go through them and cut out layouts that I like. Then I organize them in a big three ring binder by the number of pictures on a page. When I am feeling completely uncreative, I go through that book and scraplift a few layouts. Before I know it, my creative juices are flowing, and I\'m able to create my own unique layouts.

Laurie in NY from Near Rochester NY writes...
The only time I have trouble with my creativity is when I am exhausted and stressed. When I try to finish something on a deadline it is rarely easy. So I try to schedule some scrap time early in the day, preferably when I am home alone (I am lucky I have this option now and then!!) or when the kids are still asleep. If I wait until all of my to do list is done then I don\'t have any energy left to be creative. I also find that by spending a few quiet minutes early in the day working on a layout then I can go about my chores and other work and the ideas keep flowing while I am doing the dishes, the laundry and the vacuuming!! I then have the motivation to come back to it later even if I am tired. Laurie

Sharon in Denver writes...
To get those extra creative juices flowing I\'ll pretend that I\'m going to a crop and get all my pages ready to go. I use a 12x12 box and layer everything that I need for a page (paper, embellishment, pictures, etc). I then seperate each page in progress with a manila folder. I keep doing this until my box is full. And, now that I have everything together and I\'ve had my hands on things I\'m ready to work. A big plus too is that I always have something ready to work on when I feel the urge. I just look through my box and go to it!!

Denise Petty from California writes...
Have a little scrapbook called \"Anything Goes.\" I have several scrapbooks that I\'m working on, but sometimes I\'m not sure where to start. I just grab my little \"Anything Goes\" book, and start a page design without pictures. This get my creative juices flowing.