This is part 4 of a 4 part series looking at what to do when your life is too boring to scrapbook. The first thing we did was decide that your life is NOT too boring to scrapbook. You have plenty of stories to tell, you just need a bit of inspiration to get them out!
If you’ve missed the rest pop back to Part 1 here.
Our final area of inspiration for topics to scrapbook about is to tell your family stories.
Every family has stories that become legends, at least within your own family. They are the stories that your family tells every time you have a family gathering. They are also the small, seemingly insignificant stories behind the family members and their belongings.
Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Family Stories
- Tales from your mother and father and their childhood
- Tales from your grandparents and their childhood
- Places your family lived/spent time
- Heirlooms
- Jewelry
- Tales of that epic game of Pictionary/Scrabble/Monopoly
Not all of the stories will be from the past, you’ll also want to include the new stories that are happening now.
If you’re not close to your family it can be tough, but of course you’ll still want to include them in your albums. Thankfully there are a few tricks that can help.
- If you have children/adult children/grandchildren use photos they post online. Ask them to send you photos too!
- When everyone is together ask directly for the photos you’d like to have. Photo sharing is easier than ever these days with features like AirDrop on iPhones and sending images by text or email.
- When you don’t have photos take screen captures of online comments to use for journaling.
Go. See. Do. At Home!
The other thing to consider is that perhaps you could use a bit more spice in your life. Each part of this series will focus on something you can do in your own hometown so you feel more connected to your community and bring a bit of variety into your scrapbooking. We’ll focus primarily on things you can do without going too far or spending too much money.
Groups and Activities
How involved are you in your community? Joining a local group, club or team can be a great way to bring a bit of excitement to your life.
First, consider what you enjoy. Is there a group for that? Some areas have an evening where local groups recruit new members. These are a perfect way to find out what options you have.
Even if you’re not sure if something is going to be the right fit, give it a try! The local choir may not require you to read music to participate. The archery club may have equipment they can loan to new members before buying your own.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for it may be time to create your own group! Chances are good that there’s someone else looking for the same thing.
Bonus ideas:
Volunteering, and joining volunteer associations can be a great way to get involved in your community and meet new people while doing something that makes a difference. Contact your town/city for a list of volunteer groups and opportunities. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have while volunteering your time.
If you’re all caught up with your scrapbooking and you feel you’ve told your stories, perhaps there is someone else in your life that would appreciate your time to help them tell their stories.
Art journaling, card making, crafting, these are all ways you can get creative and playful without feeling the need to create layouts when you don’t feel you have a story to tell. (Although after this list I don’t see how something doesn’t spark your interest!)
Want to be inspired to take more photos? Take a photo challenge that gives you a daily/weekly mission of an image to capture.
Scrapbook YOU!
Want to create an album all about you? Scrapbook You is a class designed to help you condense your ideas into one album. This album will be like a highlight reel of your life. Find out more about how this self-paced class will help you to tell your story HERE.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series about what to do when your life is too boring to scrapbook. I hope you’ve realized that you have MANY stories to tell and perhaps you’ve been inspired to find something new in your community that you’ll want to scrapbook about too!
Happy scrapping!
Alice.
