Gutters

Here in Michigan, if one does not clean one’s gutters, not only will all the water get trapped, you will have interesting things grow in them and wick up under your shingles if you are not careful. Why is my mind on gutters (better than being in them I suppose)….because there, in the gutters, stagnant water gets putrid, slimy and stinky. I know first hand that cleaning gutters is a gross job and, I am grateful for my husband and the fact that he does all the “fun” chores around the house. Okay, back on topic. As I watched my husband cleaning this afternoon, I thought about what a great analogy it was.

I have noticed that Scrapbookers, like cardmakers and even altered artists, get set in their ways and daresay, comfortable with certain color schemes, lay-outs, and styles. A weird thing occurs….their work starts looking the same over and over again and they end up in a rut- stagnant and rotting just like the stuff stuck there in the gutters. Their creative muse hasn’t been forced to move outside that comfort zone and has withered on the vine as they say. Scrapbooking isn’t about taking the easy route or even being comfortable, it is about telling the story, examining the facts in an honest way, stretching your creativity and discovering your voice in the process. After discussing this with a friend of mine this afternoon, she sent me a link to a wonderful new blog called Gutter Girlz. I thought, how appropriate considering today’s thoughts. Their very first prompt is all about being a woman and using nylons…..the first thing that came to my mind was pictures of Women during WWII painting their legs and having friends make sure the painted on seam was just right (My Grandma was one of those gals and it is her story that I thought of)- rations and tough times did not make those folks stagnant, it spurred them to be creative and use what was on hand…. I encourage you to do the same. Incidentally, here is a fascinating article about nylons (and where I got the picture below from) to help you get that muse of yours going!