How to Find Your Summer Scrapbooking Sweet Spot

When you think back to last summer or the one before, how did you feel about your scrapbooking? Did you take so many photos that you were a bit overwhelmed? Did you get a little off track, even if you had some extra time to yourself?

The sun draws us outside, but it also wears us out. Whether your summer is full of big adventures or wide open with possibility, most scrapbookers experience a shift in their energy and ability to get things done during these months. This can result in feelings of “Oh shoot, I should have kept up with this.” by the time fall arrives.

In this post I want to share an approach you can use to find your summer scrapbooking sweet spot. When you operate in this zone, you’ll not only be able to find that much-needed relaxation and renewal but also capitalize on the abundant inspiration that summer also offers.

This summer I want you to feel different, to feel accomplished and ready for whatever comes next.

One of the reasons scrapbooking gets pushed aside during the summer is a lack of clear context. In other words, lack of clarity about how it fits into your life amidst everything else. The rest of the year it’s a little easier. There are more predictable patterns to everyday life, including when you’ll spend time scrapbooking.

Summer is just different. You want to slow down and relish each moment as much as you want to go, go go, and check off everything on your bucket list. The patterns have changed and your energy for decision-making is being spent on what to pack for the picnic and finding those water shoes you know you have, somewhere.

Your summer scrapbooking sweet spot respects this shift and the balance of activity and rest. In fact, it can even help you enjoy your summer more as you become aware of the highs and lows of the season. To begin, consider this venn diagram:

On the left you have relaxation. Imagine that breeze, you can see it blowing the curtains and you can feel it on your skin. You want a break from responsibility, more quiet time alone and with your family, and intentional activities that renew your soul.

On the right you have inspiration. Imagine that endorphin rush after running on the beach to catch a frisbee. You want to feel totally alive, with a full life. You want to take time to go on adventures and really experience all that summer offers.

The thing is, the promise of relaxation isn’t always enough to motivate you to get started scrapbooking. And when you’ve got so much inspiration your brain is swirling, it’s difficult to find the pause button and focus. Thus the sweet spot is in the overlap.

When you intentionally operate in a space of feeling both relaxed and inspired (or at least visit it often), you’ll find focus for your scrapbooking – and it’s easier than you might think. Here are my five favorite ways:

1. Leverage the transition – Immediately after an adventure is the best time to start scrapbooking about it. When the memories are fresh, you will be more motivated to tackle your photos and do something with them. Let scrapbooking be an easy transition between activity and rest.

2. Recall summers past – Browsing your photo library is usually a sure bet for triggering inspiration on a quiet evening, and you can even amplify that effect. Sit down with your family to enjoy those images and remember previous summers. And with today’s TV technology, you can even recreate the old-fashioned slideshow.

3. Move slower, without stopping – When you’re continuously active, but at a slower and more intentional pace, you can accomplish more without feeling drained. This approach relies on momentum to pull you through energy swings, but it prevents getting too relaxed that you want to nap and too energized that you can’t focus.

4. Create a new routine – Just because your Friday night scrap date is now a backyard cookout, that doesn’t mean you can’t create a look-forward-to-it-all-week routine for your hobby. When you keep an open mind to adjusting instead of feeling frustrated, you’ll be able to couple the therapy of memory keeping with the excitement of anticipation.

5. Keep learning – It’s too easy to say that you should concentrate on just keeping up during the summer, but relaxing your expectations too much can result in not much accomplished. Stay connected and inspired about memory keeping with deliberate returns to your favorite modes of learning and engagement.

Think about the conditions that make you most likely to scrapbook, any time of the year. With those success stories in mind, what does your summer sweet spot look like? Leave a comment sharing one sure-fire approach you’ll use this summer to keep scrapbooking.

The Focus summer retreat, an easygoing online event here at Simple Scrapper, will help you stay in that sweet spot all summer long. Registration is now open.