We live in a world of abundance. We all have too much product, too many distractions, too many photos, too many ideas… and a lot of it is free or close to it!

I still maintain that scraplifting can help the issues you mentioned — overwhelm, distraction, perfectionism — if you put some rails on yourself. No solution is going to work on its own — it takes input and discipline from the user! Just as a diet won’t work if you don’t impose the calorie restrictions or follow the exercise suggestions, scraplifting (or any “system,” for that matter) won’t get you scrapbooking without some decisions:

1. OVERWHELM/PERFECTIONISM. Tell yourself you’ve got three minutes to find a layout to lift.

2. DISTRACTION. Don’t search online — I keep a binder full of ideas for pages, torn from magazines, so I can’t get distracted by checking links or going on an endless rabbit trail. Or limit yourself to ONE gallery, or ONE PAGE in ONE GALLERY, to find the layout you like. And promise yourself that you won’t follow any links until you finish your page!

If anyone needing this still needs more motivation or help, or has any questions, pop over to my blog! I’ll be glad to help you out. And consider joining us for the next round of Layout A Day in May. Creating a layout a day is a surefire way to blast through scrapper’s block.

One final thing — if you truly don’t feel like scrapbooking, give yourself a break! Scrapbooking isn’t a life sentence. It should be fun and enjoyable. But sometimes we all just need to get away and take a break so we can return with new energy and perspective.

Thanks again for bringing up this fantastic topic!

Lain