Is Scrapbooking Dying?

Sadly, I believe it is. I still love it, but even I have slowed down with my storytelling. I'm to a point that I have so many albums, I wonder who is going to want them! See my post about how our kids don't want our stuff!

Still, there's a lot more to it than that. Scrapbooking used to fulfill a variety of needs for people. For some, it was an artistic outlet. Others considered themselves family archivists. For me it's always been about the stories. I consider myself a storyteller, writer and documentarian.

All of the scrapbook stores have closed. There may be a few left here and there, but not many. Or they've expanded to include other things---knitting or gifts for half the store. Luckily, you can still find a pretty good selection of scrapbook supplies at the big box stores. Even that isn't so much fun. I don't need anything. There's nothing new that appeals to me. That's okay. I have enough stuff. I'm trying to get rid of stuff!

One of the most important things we're losing with the demise of scrapbooking is the camaraderie we had. Many different  people sharing the same interest. And what about the expensive real estate in our homes we've dedicated to our scrapbook rooms? That is certainly a waste.

I still have one group of friends for AYM (A Year of Memories). But even with that, I notice the lag--people are busy, there are health issues in families, some are working, new family responsibilities---things happen in our lives---getting even one page a month done is too much. Finding a time that works for everyone to meet is getting harder and harder. Everyone is just busy and scrapbooking isn't the priority it once was. I'm pretty sure this will be the last year--if we even manage to get it going this year.

I miss all the women I met through this hobby. I'm still friends with a few on Facebook, but it's not the same. We used to see each other a couple times a month. It was the scrapbook stores that was our meeting place. I used to keep up with some of them via their blogs, but pretty much all of them have let their blogs go too. It's just sad. I enjoyed these women. I had a plan to try to get everyone together at Christmas, but then didn't do it. I wish I had. I miss them for sure! Scrapbooking really expanded my circle of friends and now it's shrunk and continues to shrink.

At least for me, I still have my blog and that's definitely filling my need to "tell our stories!" I've been at this now since 2007---11 years of sharing my life. Still, blogging is a solitary activity. I'll keep at it though.