Artful Memories

My son is a senior in high school where he will present a paper about self reflection to a group of his peers before graduation. I asked Zach what he would write about. Casually he replied that he was waiting. “Waiting for what?” I asked anxiously.

“Mom! I’m waiting for something really big and important to happen so I have something interesting to share.”

The next week he announced, “Mom, I wrote my paper.” I was shocked. I hadn’t heard or seen any big events; no fireworks, parties, parades or trips around the world. So I asked, “What did you write about?”

He replied “all the little things.”

Reading his paper, I realized that my young son had indeed grown and learned a valuable life lesson that would serve him well: It’s the little things in life that make living so grand. Zach’s paper was filled with stories of friendships, daily rituals, car rides, laughter, visits with grandma, time with cousins and his thoughts, fears and dreams.

So often we spend our lives waiting for something big to happen and completely overlook the everyday wonders that give life its depth and make for a really good story - your story. Life isn’t about perfection and precision, it’s about creativity and uniqueness. Make mistakes, try new things, fail, try again, explore, discover, investigate everything and go where you have never gone before.

For scrapbookers, this means creating pages that share the big events, but also creating projects that share your journey through the everyday, small things, too. Journal about an idea, your hopes, fears, and what you learned when something didn’t work out. Each word will document your unique life story and only you can write it. You’re a work in progress, so allow yourself the time and space to create the most important art of all.

Written by Beth Ervin, Creative Team Member, CottageArts.net