This post is part of Light Your Fire, an August 2013 blog series to help you get unstuck and ignite your passion for scrapbooking. For even more fire-starting, download our free membership sampler.
Organization is an ongoing process of evolution through various states. We all find order and a comfort level in our own way – and many of us wish that way was even more tidy. We may have every page perfectly inserted into albums, complete with dates and themes, but our photos are in 6 different places and in various formats.
We read magazines and books about scrapbooking, organization and home decor, gazing at the amazing images of pristine craft rooms and computer workspaces. We envy and lust for something different than our current state – but despite furious attempts to color code papers or fabrics, we can’t seem to get there. We feel frustrated and defeated.
- Lesson #1: This is normal.
- Lesson #2: You CAN be more organized.
As I began scrapbooking, I investigated all the options for organizing and storing my photos and supplies. From fancy software to catalog every digital supply to intricate systems of tagging my photos. None of it stuck. Here’s why:
Organization is a uniquely personal thing. It’s not like learning how to sew a button or cook a steak. It is both an art and a science that needs to be tailored to your special chemistry. This is why it doesn’t work when you mom your your spouse decides to rearrange something.
How to get organized once and for all
Before I tell you about the one thing that has helped me finally get organized, I want to share a warning:
I don’t have some magic formula for a hard drive or closet that declutters and arranges itself. I can’t teach you a never-before-seen method for organization. It’s all been done and you’ve tried most of it!
What I can do is give you a foolproof approach that will help you quickly and easily find your own path to organization.
Step 1. Grab your camera and snap 10-12 images of something beautiful or loved in or outside of your home.
Step 2. Go through your entire process, your current process, of taking one or more of those photos from camera to scrapbook page. However, keep a notebook with you, marking down exactly what you do.
Step 3. Take a step back and look at the big picture. How do you use your photos? How do you use your supplies? Did you have papers in mind when you decided what to photograph? Do you use sketches or templates to start your pages?
Step 4. Craft an organization scheme that fits your style of memory keeping!
Is it really that simple? Yes! The only thing you need is an understanding of your workflow.
You cannot organize ANYTHING unless you know exactly how you will use it. Do you keep your salt and pepper in the bathroom? No? Then why are your stamps in the basement? Do you scrap with digital kits for creative team obligations? Then do you really need to tag everything by color?
Before you buy software or a that pricey carousel for embellishments, consider how YOU scrap above all. Know your workflow to pick and choose organizational strategies that will meet your needs and help you finally get organized!
Homework
As a rough cut, think about your workflow and name one way you can simplify your organizational approach to better suit your style.
I could not agree more. Organization is a personal thing. Just because someone has a pristine space doesn’t mean you need one if you work a different way. If you keep things in piles but know where to get something if you need it, that can be really effective.