I hate to admit this, but I have strayed. I have not been very loyal. I don’t know what got into me. I tried to stick with it for the sake of the kids, but I just needed a break. I know that I should have just continued to work at it and pretend I was having fun, but I just didn’t have it in me. Sorry, scrapbooks, I gave up on my digital scrapbooking for a while, but guess what? I’m BACK!!
The Beginning
I started scrapbooking when my oldest was just a few months old, so it’s been 13+ years. As with all of my hobbies and projects, I go into it with full force with an all or nothing attitude. I paper scrapped until I was on bed rest at the end of my fourth pregnancy when I found digital scrapbooking. I was immediately hooked and once again, put everything I had into digital scrapbooking to the point of scrapbooking exhaustion.
For the last year, I have scrapped, maybe 5 pages. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to scrap. Every time I sat at my computer to do a layout, my mojo was nowhere to be found. I really really wanted to scrap, but finally I just gave up. I was really sad. I felt like part of me was missing, like I wasn’t complete. Yeah, I know that sounds silly and all sappy, but it’s true.
Getting Lost
So, what got me all sidetracked? My blog! I know my blog is SCRAPS of My Geek Life, so I should be all about the scrapbooking. I let the numbers, perfection, SEO, keywords, niches and a whole bunch of other details get in the way of the reason I started to blog. To share my geek filled, scrapbook loving life with all of you.
In the past year, I’ve attended 4 conferences and each time I had hoped I would figure out exactly what my niche was and how to make 6 figures on my blog using the perfect SEO formula. I didn’t find those answers. Big surprise? Nope! I came back from each conference energized and filled with lots of new information, but I really wasn’t sure what to do with that energy and info.
Finding My Mojo
This past week I attended Mom 2.0 and once again I had hoped to find all the answers there. I didn’t find the answers to those questions, but what I did find was much more important to me. My mojo! My digital scrapbooking mojo. Maybe it was having Stacy Julian in the same room as me (wonder if mojo can rub off of someone? If so, maybe I can bottle that and make my 6 figures!) Regardless of how, I’m glad to have it back. I’m going to go create a new layout now.
What are your hobbies? Have you ever lost interest in your hobby and what did you do (if anything) to get it back?
Post inspired by Wetfish Designs’s mojo post. Stock image from stock.xchng, author is svilen001
Anonymous
December 31, 1969
Mel
February 27, 2010
I've always been curious about digital scrapbooking but haven't tried it. I started knitting over Christmas break, but still haven't finished my first scarf, rather I have two bags of knitting just sitting there. Thanks for the reminder I need to get onto that…Can't wait to meet you next weekend.
Michele
February 27, 2010
I can't wait for next weekend too. Getting to meet so many people!!
Melissa
February 27, 2010
I love to scrapbook and write. Can't wait to read any and all scrapbooking posts you write =)
My recent post Road Trip
nanafixit
February 27, 2010
I'd love to offer inspiration, but I'm right where you are at the moment! I scrap constantly in my head, but that doesn't get anything down on paper! JoAnn's was having a killer sale today, so I bought some new tools and I'm hoping that'll kick start my mojo! Whether it did or not, I'm $80 lighter! Maybe I should revisit some of my recorded Scrapbook Memories eps with Stacy Julian – if it works for you, maybe it'll work for me, too! Let's get to work, girl!
Michele
February 27, 2010
I wish I could say buying new stuff worked for me. I kept buying all year long, just not doing anything with it. LOL! But now I have lots of new kits to choose from. I'm going to scrap tomorrow.
Linda
February 27, 2010
My blog has been all over the place and I am still trying to get it straight. But I too have changed a lot and am moving toward somwthing that is manageable and fun.
My recent post Help YOU Help ME – My Dog Chews Everything!!
Michele
February 27, 2010
I think there really is a process many of us go through. We start out with a topic in mind, kind of get off track for a while as we are feeling our way around the blogosphere and then tend to gravitate towards one topic over another.
Jean Berg Sarauer
February 27, 2010
Love this post and can so relate. My passion for things always wanes when I start focusing on outcomes (winning, money, impressing someone, etc.). Like you, I find when I get back to doing things because I love them or because I can help others, the joy returns.
Susan Liddy
February 27, 2010
I adore you, Michele.Thanks so much for being you.
KnitPurlGurl
February 28, 2010
OMG – your post is inspiring to get back into digital scrapbooking. I LOVED it and have lost my digiscrap mojo. Maybe I'll give it a whirl!
My recent post Product Review: Crazy Dog T-Shirts
Krystal Grant
February 28, 2010
I understand what you're going through. I used to have hobbies. I love to read. But now, I can barely complete a chapter because I'm thinking about my next blog post. I'm totally obsessed with my blog. I may need therapy.
CarissaRogers
March 1, 2010
I am so understanding you. You know what i love? Learning new things.. figuring them out and then heaven help me.. helping everyone I know figure that same stuff out.. teaching??
this 'consultant' gig has been a blas cuz it's like all those things wrapped in one. I get to learn more and more and then teach it to the company I work with… while getting paid (a little
.. so that's cool for me finally…
PLUS. It means my personal blog gets to be just that.. personal again.
Don't get me wrong the only hobby I have left is reading.. and even that's getting less and less….
Michele
March 1, 2010
Yes, I do the same thing. I learn everything I can and then I have to spread that knowledge to everyone. LOL! Could that be why we all start blogs? LOL!
@Childhood
March 1, 2010
I am still sort of searching for my niche too MIchele with an L. Maybe that's whay we are friends!
@Childhood
March 1, 2010
I am still sort of searching for my niche too MIchele with an L. Maybe that's why we are friends!
@wetfishdesigns
March 2, 2010
Wow, I'm inspired that you were inspired by my post!____Glad you are back. I have many ideas of how to keep my mojo going and blogging is one I should have listed. When I started my new blog with WordPress I was determined to "blog with purpose." Three times a week. Perhaps I should scrap with purpose, too?____See, know you have inspired me. A new blog post AND to get scrapping!____Best,__Cyndi
Wendy
March 4, 2010
I love digital scrapbooking!!!! And like you, once I discovered it I was hooked. So I've just tried to make it a goal this year to scrapbook a 2 page layout every couple of days (which translates into every week) And that seems to help. I want to get my pages done, and put into a book that will be printed through blurb.com. And it's so fun to do this. I'm glad I stumbled upon this blog!!
I have my more scrapbooking/family type blog here: http://www.myfivelittlepeople.blogspot.com and the more "I need my sanity blog" here: http://www.mycliffofinsanity.blogspot.com
lovingmomme
March 4, 2010
Love the concept of you blog! I think that digital scrapbooking might be much more up my alley. I always liked the idea of paper scrapbooking