Do you tell people that you scrapbook?

Once in a while, I feel like people are judging my choice. I have had a relative say she wishes she had time to scrapbook. Her daughter has also mentioned several times she wishes she could make books for her kids. But other than a rare few cases, no one says much. If anyone looks at my books, they do like them and have specific comments why. I guess I don't worry about it much. I wouldn't hide it, OP. Let your paper freak flag fly!

If hobbies comes up in conversation, I mention it. I keep hoping to find people who always wanted to scrapbook that I can "convert" and thereby increase my number of scrappy friends. I show my albums to family and friends. It helps that my husband has his own hobby (model trains) and totally gets it.

Like justjac , I bring it up if people are discussing hobbies, and certainly attempt to start a side conversation later with anyone else in the group who mentioned scrapbooking as a hobby.

I have found that someone saying they scrapbook does not mean the same to scrapbooker. Some do only PL, some do really fancy many layered pages worthy of the scrapbook hall of fame; some use the same system they learned from CM days, feel proud that they are doing the job of the family historian, and kind of look down on the artsy people. I like to tell stories, and I use my scrapbooks for that. I also love the creative release it gives me.

Non scrappy friends often save me things like tickets and programs to put in my books. My dh doesn't really get having a hobby, but he tolerates mine because he gets the need for tools and supplies, and he has seen the reactions of kids and grandkids to their pages. This year he has been suggesting photos for the family calendar. I ignore any comments from friends or relatives about "I wish I had that much time on my hands", or "that seems like a waste of a lot of money". To each his own.

I'm so averse to discussing it with people outside of my immediate circle that even when I hear people say they scrapbook (or infer from something they say that that's what they mean) that I convince myself that I surely must have heard them wrong. It has a stigma around it. When I worked at M's, I just thought it was ridiculously expensive and didn't see the appeal...but I still think the outside world sees it as an old fuddy duddy's hobby (Grandmas pitching an idea on Shark Tank even made fun of the hobby saying they weren't just going to sit around and scrapbook just because they were old ladies and grandmas). I certainly KNOW better given the younger crowd who are bigger names in the industry, but it's still there. Considering nothing I ever do or have an interest in is considered 'trendy' or 'in fashion' it's just one more thing that I do that makes it so I don't fit in. Now, if I said I was a planner, that would probably be the exact opposite of what the general public thinks of scrapbooking...so of course, I have no interest, lol.

If I DO mention it, I say I'm a memory keeper, not a scrapbooker. Somehow, I feel like rebranding my hobby makes it sound less like the stereotypes.

But, I love it.  My kids love to look at the photos spread out on my desk as I'm working on a project and point out who they know and where they were if they remember or recognize the destination.  My husband is supportive of it and sees the value (even if that opinion was before my space became the overflowing hoard of stuff that it is now).  I just don't need to hear what strangers think if their opinion is that I'm wasting my time.

We might be related...  

Yes I tell people that I scrapbook. And I have found that most people are actually pretty awed by it. They may not ever chose to do it for themselves but they can appreciate how I've taken care to document our life.

jamiebohbamie that's cool, you're helping the hobby grow.

msliz I laughed a little reading your post about SAHM and sloth hobby. No one raises an eyebrow at my friends who must spend way more on their weekly golf or tennis coaches and leagues. It must be because they come away with better looking shoulders and biceps.

I rarely talk about myself, but have no problem listing scrapbooking as a hobby when it comes up in conversation. Every page is made with love for our son. Also a SAHM, I'm neither ashamed nor concerned with anyone's opinion of how I chose to spend my time.

First of all, mom, is that your dog?  How adorable is that picture... and secondly, your hobby isn't just about you, it is preserving your family memories and experiences.  Pictures saved on a cell phone just aren't the same thing.  I am glad you both have supportive families, but I wish you didn't feel that way about what you love to do.  Who the flip is to say what you do when you are a stay at home mom?  Please tell people who try to make you feel this way to suck it.  . 

I keep it to myself, anytime I have ever mentioned it to someone I seem to get a negative reaction unless they do it too.

Ha! Yes! This is my dog, Roscoe! 

I do tell people when they ask about my hobbies and interests, or if they ask about my weekend plans, etc.  I just say, I love scrapbooking and I do it as often as I can.  If someone doesn't know what it is I say I put my photos, memorabilia and journalling all together in albums.  

Anyone who knows me more than by site knows that about me if they know anything at all. People who really know me will save things for me, especially memorabilia.

My mom was watching my friend and I go through our purchases from CKC and she got so overwhelmed she had to leave the room.  She said, "Now what do you do with all that?"  She knows I scrapbook and she even has her entire childhood scrapbooked, but she just could not fathom how I could possibly use all I had bought.

No. 

Reading through some of these, I feel lucky my friends, coworkers and my partner is so supportive. Most of my friends & my boyfriend love looking at my albums because they see photos of stuff we've all done together and think it's really cool. I tell my clients sometimes since work is a big part of my every day life and I'll include them in photos for my albums. So pretty much everyone knows I'm going to want pictures so I can scrap them. I'm the crafty person in the office, so I get to help with birthday decorations and that sort of thing which is fun. I often encourage others to at least try the Project Life app and/or print photo books so they'll have something physical in their hands. I've converted a couple to our team.

I do think it's weird our hobby gets judged more than say quilting or fly fishing. And as others have pointed out, our hobby is significantly less expensive than many other hobbies out there in the world. I still remember an episode of Paperclipping Round Table when Izzy was like Noelle will never spend as much on an scrapbooking order as I do on a single piece of video equipment.