Where do you find the momentum to scrapbook?

Do you just set everything out and start scrapbooking and it’s just there?

My supplies are organised, my desk is cleaned between layouts, and I almost always pick my next photos and leave them on the desk at the end of a scrapbook session

Do you plan everything out and the knowing where you’re going helps you move forward?

I'm more of a big picture planner - my albums are planned in the sense that I sort my photos by layout into page protectors when I get them printed. I don't scrap chronologically but the majorioty of my albums are chronological so that helps me stay on track as far as what's been scrapped and what still needs to be.

Layout wise - it varies. Sometimes I pull together all the components including a sketch and everything gets placed on the background before anything gets glued down. Other times, I'm more winging it.

Do you look for ideas first to be inspired?

I love sketches for inspiration

How do you build your momentum and why do you think this works for you?

the first layout after a hiatus is always the hardest for me...the more I scrap, the more momentum and mojo I have.


not sure if I'm answering the questions the way you intended them. I'm a rather linear, straight forward kind of person and you seem to be more creative and introspective

My work in progress, is always sitting there.
I just scrapbook when I feel like.
I have no rhyme or reason, no designated time, no plan. 
Often, it's just a sit down and work on it kind of thing.

My personal operating systems work best, when there is a reward
I sometimes tell myself, when I complete a certain number of pages, I can reward myself. The reward can be some new scrapbook goodies, a piece of See's chocolate, etc...
Simple as it is, I am more productive if there's a reward at the end.

I exclusively create 6x8 pocket page albums which I work through chronologically which makes it much easier to keep up the momentum. The progress I have made on the album I'm working on is often clear in my mind and I use the app Trello to help me stay extra organised with digital to-do lists. I find I use the incentive of the next event I will want to scrapbook helps too (eg. Finishing a Summer 2022 project before starting December Daily) otherwise I will just be overwhelmed with projects.

My motivation is still that I want to preserve my memories and tell my stories.

When I want to scrap, I just look at what is next on the list and tackle that.

In terms of inspiration, I rarely look at what other people are doing and tend to focus on the supplies in front of me. I don't share my layouts so I'm not overly interested in replicating other peoples work or creating something that would be considered beautiful - it just has to work for me. Occasionally I'll see something on Instagram and be inspired by it and take a screenshot and then take that into consideration next time I'm working on a project.

6x8 is not a huge space to play with so over the years, I've become a very simple scrapper and I stick to a few key elements. I love journalling cards, labels, chipboard and cardstock pieces.

Since I have a room, it is easy to have it all ready. I print a bunch of pictures, make kits for the pictures and have them in baggies ready to go.

Do you just set everything out and start scrapbooking and it’s just there? i will put out one element (usually recently purchase) and go from there


Do you plan everything out and the knowing where you’re going helps you move forward? no because things never evolve as planned.  i have a general theme in mind when i start.  christmas, halloween, travel, etc


Do you look for ideas first to be inspired?  it's 50-50.  sometimes i browse for inspiration and other times, a new product will inspire me.


How do you build your momentum and why do you think this works for you?  i don't know about building momentum but i try to remain consistenly engaged.  if i stay away from a project too long, i will lose interest. i try to sit with the project every day even if i don't get a ton done.  at least i am connected still.

I'll take out what I think I want to use, ie watercolors or alcohol inks. I usually have some sort of vision of what I want to make. If I can't think of "how" to do something or need ideas, I'll check youtube.

That's the amount of planning I do. That's why I always bring way too much to crops. I'm not good with the planning part.

Honestly, most of my ideas are copycats of what I've seen someone else do. I'm okay with that. 

This is similar to how I scrapbook. I haven’t scrapped in awhile, but our recent Disney trip has given me more incentive to get back to scrapbooking again. I’m currently working on choosing photos to print.

I started scrapbooking back in 1996. While I love seeing what others have done, somewhere along the way, I realized that I don’t need or want to make my pages based on someone else’s creativity. If it works for someone else to use to find inspiration from the pages of others, great, but I personally find it far more satisfying to pull the layout together on my own, and I am always happier with the results.

Once I have my photos, I keep them handy while I pull my papers and card stock. Color is very important to me. I pull the colors I want to use from my photos, and choose papers and card stock that incorporate those colors. I play around with different ideas, and I never glue anything down until I am happy with the layout.

I'm not sure if you're referring to momentum for a page or in general. In general, I always know what I'm working on next, and as soon as a page is complete, before I leave my desk, I start selecting photos and browsing for ideas for the next page. However, if you're inquiring about momentum for a page, that's where I often falter. I have a process- select photos, find design options, create background, crop and attach photos, add title, journaling, embellishments. I always start with selecting photos, but sometimes I struggle with even coming up with a design I like (e.g. sketch or Pinterest pin)-- I must have a plan even if I wind up with something entirely different in the end. Sometimes I struggle with modifying the design to work with my photos. Frequently I struggle with embellishing, which is my last step. When I get stuck on any step, I walk away and come back later, hoping to be able to make a decision that works so I can move forward.