It Might Be Too Soon

I don’t like scrapbooking photos that are too recent.  Part of the enchantment of scrapbooking for me has always been getting to spend time with photos that I haven’t seen in a while and really appreciating them.  If the photos I’m working with are too recent I catch myself often rushing through a page just to get through it because the memories attached to it are too recent and I don’t feel that nostalgic magic yet.

In those moments I'm not working off of emotions and inspiration like I should be.

The wonderful thing about the hobby of scrapbooking is that it gives you the chance to slow down and cherish the life you’ve lived.  So many times I find myself pausing while I’m creating just to be thankful to have enjoyed the moment that archiving. 

Photos are great because they tend to show the happy times.  I have photos that were taken on nights that I felt down or during events that took turns I didn’t anticipate but when I look at them I’m reminded that it wasn’t all bad. 

It’s often too easy to let the bad outweigh the good in our minds.

Looking back on old photos with fresh eyes can frequently put things in perspective.  I’m saying to totally disregard any less than positive feelings you might have to a memory as those are valid feelings to have but don’t let them be the only ones.

Recent photos don’t have the power of hindsight behind them.  So maybe next time you want to jump on scrapping something just to get it out of the way, give yourself a little time to process.  The take away you have later might just be the inspiration you need.