Community

This turned into a rather long post...forgive my ramblings.

I was a scrapbooker long before the Internet.  Back then we ordered double-prints (in case you ruined one).  We cut and pasted our photos at a regular Friday night crop (short for "cropping" our photos into all sorts of weird shapes traced by real pens and cut out with real scissors).  We threw up sprinkled stickers all over the page.  We hand-drew our titles with markers.  Printed paper?  What was that?  Colored cardstock came pre-cut into strips and triangles.  Our journaling was handwritten.

Fast forward, just a couple of years, and there was an explosion of local, privately-owned scrapbook stores.  I think there were eight or nine within a 30-minute drive, half of which were about 10 minutes away.  God, how I loved those stores.  I loved to touch & feel the product as I hand selected each piece for my personal scrapbook(s).  I loved the smell of the paper (equally as much as a real bookstore).  I'd visit at least one every week.  All the store owners knew me.  These stores were the hub of it all, where you could be sure to find a group of like-minded souls congregated on a Friday night (think quilting bee). Oh...and the classes!  I was a regular.  I wanted to learn as much as I could and soak up all the creativity I could hold.

Things are different now.  Nearly all of my dearly loved, independently-owned stores are gone.  I was so in love with the notion of running my own store, that I begged Bill to take out a second mortgage on our home and let me buy a store from a lady who was moving out of state (boy, I'm glad he said no!  I think he may have said something like..."Are you Crazy?"). We now have a big box chain store (who single-handedly ran all the independents out of business).  Besides the big two craft stores, every other store now sells scrapbook supplies.  You can find scrapbook supplies at the local grocery store, the card store, and every office supply store.  And, of course, now we have the Internet...and digital scrapbooking...and online retailers and…

Traditional scrapbookers (with real photos & paper) digital, or hybrid, are all likely to spend a good amount of time on the Internet, our "go-to" place for ideas and maybe even shopping.  Going out on a limb here, but I think the computer is now considered the #1 tool for today's memory keeper (so long scissors...). From sharing digital photos on Facebook to reading the latest edition of my favorite scrapbook magazine or idea book online, memory keeping and the Internet are synonymous for me.  Even the term "scrapbooker" may fade in time as really we are all just memory keepers.  In fact...this pains me to say...a real hold-in-your-hands scrapbook may soon become obsolete...

I don't believe the shift from in-person scrapbooking to a world inside a small electric box has eliminated the warmth and connections I've found (and hold dear) through scrapbooking.  I think the opposite has occurred.  The online scrapbooking community is strong, vibrant, and thriving.  I have found and befriended many like-minded souls in places I’ve only dreamed of traveling, sharing stories about life and creativity.  Through a common hobby, we communicate through words and images, we can see others and their lives, and be truly seen ourselves, in ways that break down barriers and prejudices.

I can access inspiration when I need it and learn new skills on demand.  I can ask for help and have answers within seconds, not just from search engines anymore, but from real people.   If you need to be "shown how to do it," just ask.  Sure, they may not be Hollywood-quality videos, but they come from passionate, like-minded individuals.  And...they are brilliant.

The Internet has facilitated many scrapbook communities that are very valuable to me personally. It has allowed me to reach out and touch someone and connect with others that share my love of scrapbooking...effortlessly.

My mom kept all of our family photos in a hat box; just dumped in there haphazardly.  We were lucky if there was a penciled note or date on the backside.  Oh...how I wish she had taken more time and made scrapbooks.  I only hope that my kids will recognize the value of these treasures in years to come.  My goal is to make sure that my computer does not turn into a hatbox...