This goes out to all scrappers…traditional & digital.  Ever get a layout mostly done and find yourself not 100% happy with the results?  You’re certainly not alone.  If you’ve read “My Story” you already know I can tend to be a bit of a perfectionist.  Truth be told, I can spend hours agonizing over just the “right” color or font or even the style I apply to a title.  It really can border on being ridiculous.

Break The Cycle

There is one thing that can help me break that cycle.  Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle?  Remember not being able to find that one pesky piece?  My grandma always told me to just walk away & forget about it for a little while.  I used to laugh at her when she’d say that.  But wise woman that she was…it really did work.

I use the same tactic with my layouts.  If you’re wrestling with your layout and are not pushed for time just walk away.  Even if only for 10 minutes.  Go grab a coffee, take a walk, do anything to take your mind off of it for a bit.   You’d be surprised how this simple little break can throw an entirely different light on the whole thing.

At least it works for me.  Frequently I can be working on something, spending way too much time being indecisive, or fussy.  I walk away or simply start working on something else.  And voila, when I come back to that layout one of two things generally happens.  I’m either no longer conflicted or I see exactly what needs to be done.  Thanks Grandma!

On rare occasion it may not work and I’ll try to just set it aside for a day or so.  Typically, it will resolve over time but I have been known to literally re-do an entire layout because it just wasn’t right.

I know myself well enough to know what happens if I just give in and settle for the layout as is.  Whether it’s printed and, in an album, or just stored in a folder on my computer, every time I see it, I feel unsettled.  It’s like being the only person in the room who sees a crooked picture on the wall.  My eye goes right to it and I can’t focus on anything else.

The best thing is to just take a break!

And sometimes it helps to just concentrate on what might be going on with your “creative juices”.  I read an article back in 2019 by Blake de Vos when I was in a creative slump.  It’s a quick read with 8 simple steps to find your creative side.  Sadly, this article is no longer available online.  It’s too bad as I know I found it useful.

Single Most Important Tip When Frustrated

DO NOT give up!

Don’t ever settle for something that isn’t making you happy!

Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the Tuesday Tip series.  If you don’t want to miss the next post, just click “Follow Me” to stay in touch.  And as always…“Happy Scrapping!”