Welcome to my portion of the LOAD blog hop, I hope you are inspired from your visit to Janet's blog and hope you find more encouragement here at mine. And, if you're just joining in, keep hopping on and learn all of the reasons to join in LOAD for the month of February - from those of us who have participated in LOAD in the past.
Earlier this month, when I was mapping out my Year of Do, it occured to me to skip LOAD this year. After all, I've taken on a number of other fulfilling creative endeavours over at Ella Publishing Co., Log Your Memory, Paper Issues. I want to open an ETSY shop. Oh, and my writing - there is always another idea, another assignment. And yes, I remember, four kids, lots of hockey and dreaded laundry piles! Where was I going to find the time?
Well, I am going to make the time.
LOAD was first offered in January 2008 on what is now Big Picture Classes and I've been hooked ever since! It has evolved into a February, May and October creative experience for me. Everyone here in my home knows to look out, mama is creating again.
LOAD works for me because I tend to be a "binge" scrapper. Like all of us, I have a busy life running here there and everywhere, so I spend a lot of time organizing myself in order to have a successful creative experience. For three times a year I save up my photos, stories, ideas and spend the month grinding out what often turns out to be my best work!
[Note: LOAD is my non-project-related creative time. Those 12x12 or 8.5x11 layouts that hold their own stories outside of a December Daily project, a Week in the Life project, Yesterday & Today; you know, any self-contained start and end projects.]
The idea of this hop is to give you a tip for how best to approach LOAD and have a successful experience. Like most things in life, LOAD reinforces some realities:
- Success is hard work
- Success is only possible with preparation
- Success is better when shared with others
When I started my first LOAD journey, I thought I'd grab a few sketches and a few photos and "wing it" each day - after all, I'd been scrapbooking for a couple of years, I am pretty creative, how hard could it be?
Hard.
Now? My preparation happens throughout the year.
If you do nothing else, my one LOAD tip:
I have a file folder on my desktop and when I find a layout, a detail, a photo, an idea I like, it gets tossed into the LOAD Ideas folder:
Now, I haven't looked in this folder in a while. It is not organized or planned in any way. Before February 1st rolls around, all 387 ideas will be categorized into folders:
- 1-Photo
- 2-Photo
- 3-Photo
- 4+ Photos
- 2-Page Layouts
- Elements
I don't often use more than four photos on a layout and in order to get the sorting done quickly I cannot get too specific - after all, they're simply ideas to twig more ideas. This process not only organizes me, but often it energizes me and sparks all kinds of ideas whirling and twirling by the time the month starts. I usually wait until the last opportunity to do this project in order to work on that creative momentum.
My second LOAD tip:
JOIN. Participate in the community on Flickr. This is one of the most lovely, creative and supportive communities I've had the great fortune to find. Check out the gallery. What is often astounding is the evolution over the month: the first week, everyone is pretty rusty and often no one has done much since before the holidays and the last week everyone is rocking and the art created and stories shared are incredible! I do my best to leave as many comments as possible - genuine, thoughtful comments meant to encourage and support - at minimum the three layouts posted before and after mine.
This time around Lain Ehmann, the beauty and brains behind the LOAD operation, is having some guests join in for some added inspiration:
- Julie Comstock, founder of Cosmo Cricket
- Anna Aspines, digi diva with such great ideas
- Stacy Julian, the brilliance behind Big Picture Classes
- Becky Fleck, the talent behind PageMaps
I'm looking forward to what they have to say. If you think LOAD is the kind of creative opportunity you are looking for I encourage you to join in NOW!
And if you need more encouragement, the hop continues over at Danielle's blog. And, if you should get lost, you can always start at the beginning and travel your way through:
Lain www.layoutaday.com
Danielle H. scrappindanielle.blogspot.com
Margie www.xnomads.typepad.com
S snapsandsnippets.blogspot.com
Lisa lisahausmann.blogspot.com
Laura www.mom2nick.typepad.com
Rosann brooklyngirlnextdoor.blogspot.com
Gayle lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com
Jennifer atthebluebarn.blogspot.com
Heather www.heathersdragonsden.blogspot.com
Tere terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com
Niki thepaperpeddler.blogspot.com
Janet www.khashabfamilymusings.blogspot.com
Lee thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife <<< you are here
Danielle T. dani-adayinthelifeofacoffeeaddict.blogspot.com
Junelle www.yes-and-amen.com
Julie www.juleshollis.com
Have a great day, enjoy the hop, and I look forward to seeing your creative contributions in LOAD starting on February 1st!
