The "A.B." in ABCreations stands for Anmarie Bowden, that's me! My favorite ice cream is Mississippi Mud from Baskin Robbins, altho I'm partial to Oreos crumbled on top of Vanilla Bean ice cream too! I was born on Super Bowl Sunday. I have been digiscraping since 2000. I live in beautiful sunny California. I am married to my soul mate and we have two gorgeous children. My favorite saying is, “If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart!”
June's Question: Help me stay motivated. I can't find my mojo!
I spent this past weekend at a wonderful scrapbooking retreat. It was such a relaxing time. But, I spent a lot of time sitting in my chair, hunched over my layouts and getting up to stiff knees, achy shoulders, and a very angry lower back. My wonderful sister sent me periodic text messages reminding me to get up and stretch, especially since I have bursitis in my hip. These reminders got me up and out of the building for a climb up and down the stairs and a walk around the grounds where I was staying.
As scrapbookers, we tend to forget that scrapbooking is a very sedentary hobby, which means we don't move around much when we're doing it. We spend hours and hours sitting (and sometimes standing) and pondering our projects and we tend to forget how long we've been in the same spot.
Staying a bit more active will help keep you motivated and create mojo. Getting away from your project will give you time to think about it, and you will be excited to get back to it to try the new things you've been pondering!
Set a timer on your phone for 45 minutes. When it goes off, get up and do some simple stretches to get the blood flowing. Take a walk to get a fresh beverage. Take a trip to the restroom, if only to wash your hands. Take a short walk out to the parking lot or around the property where you're cropping. Be safe!
Take the stairs, if you can. This weekend, I was able to unload all of stuff in the crop room via the elevator, then I was able to take the stairs for the rest of the weekend to reach the crop room. Just that little jaunt gave me the chance to stretch and move around and get some time away from whatever the design conundrum was that was stumping me.
Stay hydrated! Sore and cramped muscles are also a sign that you need hydration, and maybe even a small snack such as a banana or carrot stick. Be sure to drink a lot of water. We tend to get lost in our projects and forget to take care of ourselves. Remember to eat Our bodies need fuel to keep going. Munch on healthy snacks between designated meal times. And maybe some chocolate very now and then, lol!
Step outside to call your family/friends, or take a short walk outside and let your family/friends know that you're having a great time. They'll appreciate hearing from you and you'll get a break away from your table.
Stand up while you're scrapping, if you can. Standing up while you scrap can be a viable option to keep you moving around. I've seen a few scrappers use shelves on top of their tables to create a stand-up station for their crafting. Totally genius idea!
Be aware of your posture. Scrapbookers tend to have the worst posture because we hunch over our projects. Take the time to be aware of your posture. I know it can be hard to scrap and sit upright, but we're not doing our backs and shoulders any favors. I've seen some scrappers bring their own chairs or chair pads that help them to sit up better.
I hope these tips get you thinking about your scrapping routine. We have to keep the energy flowing to keep the mojo going. We can't do one without the other!
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