Scrapbook Brainwashing? Yes, indeed!
This past Saturday evening, at my husband’s office holiday party, Beth walked up to me. We started chatting, and she asked “So, what do you do?”.
Since last January, I’ve realized that unless my answer includes the words “Screw Scrapbooking”, that person is going to LEAP to the assumption that I’m all about crafty, decorative scrapbooking, panic and find someone else to chat with super, duper fast.
So, now, I always say “I teach people with photos to say “screw scrapbooking”, and then a short version of how I help folks with photos/images. Without fail, I have their attention without the leap.
But, since this was my husband’s office party, I decided I probably shouldn’t answer with my “screw scrapbooking” phrase and defaulted to what I used to say.
Sure as shooting, I gave Beth my old answer and, there it was, her face drained of color, she appeared stricken and seemed to be thinking “oh great, out of all the people I could be talking with at this party, I get stuck with the scrapbook lady” cause she immediately said “Oh, scrapbooking. I could never do that!” I never said “scrapbooking”!! At the 1st opportunity, she escaped, really, practically ran to another conversation.
I am not exaggerating even one little bit. Some variation of that response is what I’ve seen over and over and over again since I started my business in July of 2002. Very, VERY effective brainwashing, wouldn’t you say?! And, once someone is thinking “scrapbooking”, trust me, there are no words to neutralize it in their brains.
And, yes, for the rest of the evening, I answered with my Screw Scrapbooking phrase and, boy, was I popular!
When in the world did the mere mention of photos and stories automatically mean doing the type of scrapbooking that strikes fear in the eyes of people?
When did the word “scrapbooking” morph from Scrapbooking to SCRAPBOOKING <said with a scrunched up face>?
I’ll tell you when… it was in 1980 when Marielen Christensen saw a way to turn it into an art project and moved it from the story, memorabilia and, when photography was invented, photo-focused activity it had been for centuries, yes, I said CENTURIES, into the decorative, money-making marketing bonanza it is now.
That wouldn’t be a big deal if the marketing machines hadn’t done such an effective job of brainwashing everyone that the new way of scrapbooking was/is THE only way to scrapbook.
So effective that very few of us have even a flicker of memory or knowledge that there was ever any other way.
News Flash, friends, there was… and is.
Here’s the definition of TRUE Scrapbooking:
- photos,
- stories and
- memorabilia
on a page.
That’s it! It’s how it all began!
The present day crafty process that we call “scrapbooking” is not true Scrapbooking. It’s an off-shoot, a variation.
It’s a vitally important distinction, especially in light of what today’s scrapbooking has cost us in missed opportunities. I only touched the surface of the damage it’s done in my last blog post, Screw Scrapbooking. There’s so much more!
It’s just one big brainwash!! Now you know it, and we need to spread the word!
Well, in light of this distinction, it seems that instead of saying “Screw Scrapbooking”, it would be more true to say:
Screw the Scrapbooking Lies!
but that’s a mouthful, so I’ll stick with Screw Scrapbooking and shock people enough to create openings for change.
Side note: Since I’ve started including the words “Screw Scrapbooking” in my response when I’m asked the “what do you do?” question, more times than not, the reaction has been joy, hope and “how do I find out more?” (click here to do that) which, of course, is waaaay more fun for me!
Your thoughts?
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