Almost six months ago I published my Project Life Manifesto, a list of points to keep me on track with scrapping each week, without getting caught up in trends etc. I’m currently four weeks behind and quite frankly, it’s no longer fun for me. I’ve started to question why I bother with weekly scrapbooking, what’s the point? Who cares?

Fortunately, my questions have mainly positive answers; I’m doing something with the million photos I take, in ten/twenty/thirty years time when we look back at my albums we will know who the people are, which is something we can’t always remember when looking at my parents albums, it’s creative and enjoyable (when I’m up to date.) The positives to this hobby do outweigh the negative, but my mind frame needs shifting..

Let’s revisit the manifesto:

1. Don’t justify

I’m quite apologetic and will find myself apologising for my work when I share it. I’m not going to do that anymore. It’s my album, my life, and it simply doesn’t matter if others don’t like it.

I have got better at this although I do still apologise. A bit.

2. Remember the details

To do this I need to be more diligent with writing things down so I haven’t forgotten when I complete the layout. Things like quotes from Elijah are perfect examples of what needs to go back in. I have a journal for the purpose of making notes of my week, but I’ve been slack with it. I’m going to move it next to the bed and jot a few notes in it each night.

I have become better at this, and I have realised I write things down without realising such as relaying something funny Elijah has done in a skype conversation to Col. I’ve been going back to these to help fill memory gaps in the album.

3. Embrace my handwriting

Yes, the time has come to embrace it. Some weeks, like now as I’m 7 weeks behind, I just want to print out photos, add some journaling and be done. The easiest way to do this is to just embrace my handwriting. I love typed journal cards, but it really is time consuming and I’d like to spend less time on my PC this year and more time out living a life worthy of recording.

YES! I have done this! Go me.

4. Admire the style of others, but keep to your own.

I find it’s very easy to get swept up in trends in any craft and when your version isn’t a good as the original it’s quite disheartening. There’s lots of styles out there that I really love, but unless they really reflect my own style, I’ll just admire them from afar and accept that it’s ok if I don’t have the trendiest layout on the block, I am doing this for me after all. I also need to acknowledge that it’s ok if I change my style as I go. I’ve found it hard to get going this year as I’ve been trying to create a bit of a formula to follow each week, but the self imposed formula has already proved a little stifling.

Yes and no. My style is still all over the place and not really what I would call ‘my style’. Rushing to catch up doesn’t really allow me to develop a style to be honest.

5. Stop buying supplies.

Acquiring lots of product falls into two categories for me; 1. keeping up with trends and 2. procrastination. Neither is particularly useful when it comes to keeping up to date with weekly spreads. I love tiny alpha stickers, and am a sucker for pretty paper, but I really do not need anymore BH cards at this stage!

I have managed to stop buying supplies, although my digital supplies have increased this year. Overall I am achieving this though.

In conclusion, I think it’s good to actually go back and revisit these kinds of lists. They can be quite grounding. I’m finding the hardest part about keeping up is the photos. I tend to edit them, crop them, collage them.. it takes hours. Using the Collect App was cutting down this time, but then I found my layouts a bit boring looking. There must be a happy medium!