Some may call it planning...

I’m pretty much finished on the marathon album I was working on – I just need a page or two at the end as a conclusion but I’m waiting on a couple of photos before I can put these together. So I should be able to pretty much move on to the next project, right?

Well, I thought so but I’d been kinda procrastinating about starting on the main Florida vacation album and last weekend it suddenly hit me. I have been reluctant to start because I hadn’t yet “planned” it.

Now, don’t be scared – I am definitely not one of those scrappers that plans an entire album before starting, lovingly crafting sketches and putting together materials lists and color themes. No, it’s nothing like that. My planning mainly consists of putting stuff all together in one box.

Before I start on any large project (ie, a vacation album) I like to know that I have the things I need to hand. I also know that at some point I will be taking the lot down with me to some crop, so it needs to be available to grab in the 5 minutes I usually have to prepare for crops. I also like to narrow my stash down to a few sensible choices so that I don’t have to wade through all my cardstock every time I create a new layout for the album. I also want to keep all those brochures and tickets and leaflets and flyers and other papers that I collected, and make sure that I don’t forget I have them.

So my solution is to stick all the stuff I think I’ll need in one box (sometimes it takes two boxes). I can then select the cardstock, the papers (usually I get a whole collection, it’s easier that way), stickers, stamps, embellishments and whatever else may be useful and stuff it all in the box.

Voila – I’ve now planned my album.

While it doesn’t feel as organized as those that can draw sketches for all the pages in their planned album, it is still pretty organized. In effect I’ve made all the same decisions, I just didn’t call it “selecting a scheme” rather “narrowing down my choices”. So whenever I get a minute or two I can drag the box out, quickly put together a bunch of layouts and then tidy the lot back up when I’m done. No problem.

I didn’t consciously do this as a way of planning but more of a way of narrowing my choices and making the process a bit quicker. It served a more practical purpose but in the end I’ve discovered that it also makes the creative process flow better and ensures a more cohesive album. In effect I’ve made my own “kit” where it all goes and I can just grab something and plonk it on a page and it goes, no thinking required.

I hadn’t done any of this for my Florida album and that is why I just couldn’t start – I hadn’t made all those design choices (ie, stuff things in my box) and subconsciously I wasn’t ready to start. So last weekend I grabbed an empty box, stuffed a load of papers and cardstock and whatnot in it, threw the photos in and guess what?

Last night I made two layouts for the album. I’ve started!