This Is Why.
| This Is Why. |
 |
 |
| Written by Liv Esteban | |||
| Monday, 27 April 2009 19:00 | |||
|
Barely three months after I began my scrapbooking journey with our dearest Jessica’s first-ever digital online course, I got bitten by the Why bug and wrote down in my blog the reasons why I scrapbook. Then course after course followed, and layout after layout got created, and blog post after blog post buried that original scrapbook-soul-searching post I wrote. You know how we scrapbookers love a traipse down memory lane once in a while, right? Well, with National Scrapbooking Day looming in the horizon, I found myself revisiting that same old question. I stumbled upon my old article. And, filled with amazement, I realized that not a single thing has changed despite the passing of more than two years since I first started scrapping; the reasons that lie behind my passion for creating pages and layouts remain constant to this very day. I’d like to share with you the reasons why I love scrapbooking, in the hopes that as you read on, you will be filled with the same sense of wonderment, and begin (or revisit) your own journey into the depths of why you choose to preserve the precious moments of your life in photographs and layouts {...}
Why do I Scrapbook?
Why do musicians put down into melodies what they can easily say in plain words? I suspect it’s because they know that music gives the heart a voice that is way more profound than words simply spoken. (If you have a fretful sleepy child, try saying “Lullaby and good night” and then try singing it; and then tell me which was more effective in getting those eyes to droop contentedly). I scrapbook because it allows me to say what I need to say with more eloquence, even if what I celebrate on a layout is actually the most mundane event of the day. It helps me to see the world with a singing heart, and it helps me to share those songs with the people I love. Why do historians write history? Everyone wants to understand what happens around them. And having understood, they want to pass on the insights they’ve gained. Scrapbooking allows me to do that for my children, to leave them with a lasting legacy of my view of our lives as well as lessons learned. Scrapbooking allows me to write my own history, to record what is important to me, for myself and for the generations that will come after me. Others may easily ask, “But who’s going to care in a million years?” Yet who can say that they wouldn’t? The more pragmatic among us can convince ourselves that it’s a silly and sentimental trip, but really, if Anne Frank had said Who would care whether I put my thoughts down in this little tattered but highly treasured notebook?, how much would we have missed without that wonderful glimpse into the poignant life of this extraordinarily ordinary little girl? Why do children of every generation gather round the storyteller's rocking chair, little chins cupped in little hands, eagerly anticipating the flipping of page after page? Everyone likes to listen to stories. Everyone likes to tell stories. I scrapbook to tell stories. My scrapbooks are my way of passing on to my children (and perhaps they will want to pass on to their children) my life, their lives, our family’s lives, the little ordinary things that, taken altogether, make up a genuine uniqueness that can never be duplicated elsewhere. It is my way of making sure my story and their stories get told. It is my way of ensuring that they will always have visual evidence of how much those whom I love mean to me.
Why do authors tap on their keys and scribble with their pens? I love to write, always have and always will. It is, to me, as essential as breathing. Writing allows me to tell my story in my own words; and who among us has no story to tell? Every day is a journey, and every journey is rife with stories waiting to be told. The cavemen passed on their stories by mouth–they too had that need. It’s primitive yet real. I scrapbook because I want to satisfy that same need that has existed since time began. Why do photographers click their shutters, when in a split-second the scene changes and then is gone? Ah, but see, that is precisely why. Photographers and I, we love taking photos. We like to hold in our hands the power to capture a moment from our own viewpoint and preserve it forever on paper. It’s freezing a moment in time so that you can come back to it again and again. It’s sort of like being able to bottle up happiness and being able to sniff a little of it every now and then, whether it’s because you need a bit of uplifting or because you just want to float in its overflow. Why do painters wield their brushes? Every artist wants to share with others his view of the world as he sees it. Painters have their own choices of media: brushes or fingers or palette knives, oil or water color, canvass or paper or walls. Scrapbookers have their choices: digital or paper or hybrid, sweet or shabby or grungy--we all have different styles. And we all choose what fits us best in our quest to record our view of life. I scrapbook because I am an artist at heart. I love drawing, I love painting, I love creating. I love taking something and making something more out of it. It’s pretty much like my desire to leave this world a better place than when I came into it. It’s leaving my mark, my individual contribution to what is already there. Scrapbooking allows me to express myself and release my creative juices using brushes, paper, photos, my computer, my printer (oh yeah, technology works for me big-time!). Why did Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone? Why do we write letters or type out emails? Our makeup as human beings dictates the need to reach out and touch someone instead of living on an island separate from the rest of creation. Scrapbookers are a wonderful community to be with. There is real support and real friendship, none of which requires parental consent and all only of the positive, clean, general-audience kind. To be sure, this can be found anywhere; it is not exclusive to this large group of people who go crazy about the latest brushes or papers or wordart or screws and brads. But it is wonderful to be a part of a larger, worldwide community whose bridges are built strong, transcending differences in race, color, creed and geography, because of a shared love and appreciation for what each of us holds dearest to our hearts, because of a certain courage that allows us to put our heart out on a piece of paper and trust that no one will trample over what we’ve just shared from the deepest recesses of our very being. Why do I scrapbook? I have a passionate desire to express myself in a combination of words, art, and photos. I want to record my world the way I see it. It’s really a matter of self-expression. I am a living being and I want to celebrate life, mine as much as the lives that belong to those around me. I am a wife and a mother of five sons, and I treasure the look on my boys’ faces when they see me celebrate them through my scrapbook creations. I have struggles and triumphs and pains and joys, and putting them down in my choice of art form allows me to taste and savor these experiences over and over again, and perhaps learn a bit more each time. Without scrapbooking, my life would be sorely lacking the beauty of art, the celebration of joy, the declarations of love, the amazement with the ordinary, the wisdom and insight gained as one gazes at past events, the vivid recall of memories, the release of pent-up emotions and creative rushes, the friendships that transcend all boundaries. I scrapbook because I like to live, laugh, and love fully… and then be able to experience all that over and over again, alone or with those who matter, as we leaf through the pages of my creation. This is why I scrapbook. I’d love to know why you scrapbook, too! If you'd like to write your story for a future edition of "This is Why", please contact me! We'll be posting a new story every Tuesday! Trackback(0)
Comments (17)
 
Why do I love the Spraground so much? Because I now have people in my life like you, Liv. You are amazing. Seriously, I want to be like you when I grow up! Hurry up September!!!
1
April 28, 2009
This says so much about "Why" I scrapbook too! Thanks for putting it so well Liv!
I went and wrote a little on my blog about this because it is something that I have been needing to define in my evolving photograph taking, scrapbooking journey. Here is why - in short, taken from my blog. Essentially it is a way for me to communicate. With my future, about my past and my present and sometimes even about my future. 2
April 28, 2009
Oh I LOVED reading this Liv
 It seems the self expression part jumped out at me, mmm ... interesting. I am going to ponder on this today for sure! Sue3
April 28, 2009
why? Because of people we love! Including dear friends like you Liv! I've been so blessed to know you and all my other digi friends.
4
April 28, 2009
Liv -
Your love and thoughtfulness warmed my heart as I read your journaling this morning. I share many of your reasons for scrapbooking, and you have expressed these feelings so clearly in your writing. You are quickly becoming one of my favorite teachers. I learned so much from your Type+Writer classes, and I hope to continue to learn from you as you contribute to this website. 5
April 28, 2009
Liv, I loved your article. You always make me think so today I am going to ponder on why I love scrapping. Off hand, I'd say because it is a way I can express myself through words and photos. To leave something tangible behind to remind my family that I was here and that I cared about them deeply.
6
April 28, 2009
And this is WHY I love Liv!!
 Beautiful, beautiful words. I don't know that I personally have a great reason to scrap, but I scrap because I feel compelled to. It's really hard to explain - it's like I can literally hear the voices of future grandchildren and great-grandchildren who want to know about my life, about me and what I thought and what I loved, and the lessons I learned. It's kind of what drives me to tell these stories. And it may stem from my own desire to have had these records from my mother and grandmothers. I'm not sure--I just know I HAVE to scrap. (And if I get to be artistic in the process and collect fun supplies and become friends with all these amazing women...it's a win-win!) 7
April 28, 2009
I love being able to look through my albums remembering moments from vacations or occasions. I mostly love making albums for my kids and their friends and I like to include ticket stubs or programs that will mean something to them later on. My kids and their friends now bring me items from their experiences at college or elsewhere and say" I thought this might be something you could use in your book." When my daughters friend went away to college and was having a tough time the first couple of months, she told me later that she would take out her scrapbook that I made her from high school and that would make her feel better. I like being able to share my obsession with scrapbooking to give people close to me their favorite memories in a book.
These are some of the reasons I love scrapbooking. 8
April 28, 2009
Liv, although I know why you scrap and have read your beautiful words before many times reading them today reached into me differently. I have been a total slacker lately, with good reason but in a few months when I get all this work behind me I am hoping to dive into it with more energy. There is nothing I enjoy more than looking at a picture with a story attached to it and I am hoping to create many of these for the people like me in the future to ohh and ahh at. Thanks Liv for making me start to think again why I love scrapbooking.
9
April 28, 2009
Liv, you are amazing! I hope one day that I can write as beautifully as you. I scrapbook to say "I was here. I lived. I loved. And I celebrated my life."
10
April 28, 2009
Liv, you are a true artist in every sense of the word. You are able to put down in words what we are thinking & feeling in our hearts. I loved the image of a photograph being like a bottle of happiness and "being able to sniff a little of it now & then". Genius, my friend, pure genius!
11
April 28, 2009
If I hadn't read your article first, I would have attempted to tell why I scrapbook. But I can't do it so eloquently, and you have expressed the reasons much better than I can.
You are a wonderful writer who touches people's heartstrings and emotions and leaves an imprint forever. I loved the Type+Writer class and I really hope you and Jessica will offer another level or two of this class. Your class pushes us to write and write and refine and refine and pour out our hearts and souls onto our pages for our children, grandchildren, and future generations. There isn't anything better than this. Thanks for all you share and do for us here at the Spraground. 12
April 28, 2009
scrapbook? who scrapbooks? i thought we all just collected supplies! BWAHAHAHAHA! just kidding......
I started scrapping about 11 y ago. met the man of my dreams, and new i had to document my new wonderful life God gave me. then when the child came, it really took off!!!! I want to show my family my take on the world, our lives......help them remember how BLESSED we all are, all our days and moments precious gifts from God. AND, i want them to KNOW when i'm gone (however sooner or later that will be) that i treasured all of these memories and moments. I know from my profession all too well that we NEVER know how much time we will have to tell stories. I want to get them all down before i lose the ability to recall! (i know....depressing but true!) 13
April 28, 2009
Liv, you and Ali have inspired to make a blog post of my own, which at first I thought I'd just link to yours and hers to share with others, but I had to add some of my own thoughts as well. Thank you for so many things perfectly well said!
http://ourhereandnow.blogspot....vity.html 14
April 28, 2009
When I read these words, my heart races. Liv, thank you SO much for sharing your heart with us!
15
April 29, 2009
whoa! i've got the warm fuzzies all over!
 your responses (here and on your blogs), my dearest friends, are so heartwarming and so amazing. thank you so much for your kind, kind words. and thank you so much for sharing your own reasons why; what a great honor to be able to granted a glimpse into your scrapbooking soul. i hope you and everyone on our spraground will continue to share their stories, their reasons why (and what and how and where  ) and their marvelous thoughts here on our spraground! and if you wouldn't mind our featuring your story on This Is Why (Tuesdays), i would love to receive a PM or an email from you! my email is live(dot)0319(at)gmail(dot)com. big, warm (((((hugs)))))! 16
April 29, 2009
Write comment
This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comments.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.
|
My mother passed away when I was eight, and though I know instinctively that she loved me as any mother would her child, I had nothing written down, no letter, no note, nothing visible that I could go back on during those times when memory just failed. I had nothing tangible to fill that need to at least read that she loved me, since I could no longer hear it. I want to make sure when my kids have to go through that, they will have something to hold in their hands, a powerful visual message made of photos and my own words, to tell them over and over again, as often as they care to look at the pages, how much I truly love them.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Let's Keep in Touch!