PLEASE Help, NEED Advice!!!!

[dlyn]

How can I learn to "loosen" up my style! It's so stiff!!!! I look through the galleries and see soooooo many layouts that I love, with the look I'd like to achieve but everytime I start with a blank page I find myself doing the same things - being compulsive about spacing, alignment, balance etc. to the point of losing all the "fun" and "art". Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Hoping I'm not too old to learn new tricks!

[Amanda]

My suggestion would be to find a layout with a particular style that is not your own and scraplift it. Force your self to follow their style. Learn some new tricks and style and you'll find your repertoir expanding!

[Mike Wozowski]

How can I learn to "loosen" up my style! It's so stiff!!!! I look through the galleries and see soooooo many layouts that I love, with the look I'd like to achieve but everytime I start with a blank page I find myself doing the same things - being compulsive about spacing, alignment, balance etc. to the point of losing all the "fun" and "art". Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Hoping I'm not too old to learn new tricks!

I'M THAT WAY TOO!!! I CAN'T HELP IT!!!

[dlyn]

Thanks, Amanda, for the suggestion. Now it will only take me several hours to decide which style to try - I like so many. Will I only be able to copy others or will I eventually create a style of my own (that isn't the one I have now!)?

Mike, glad to know I'm not the only one. I do some desktop publishing and I think that's where my habits were developed.

[Amanda]

You'll probably settle in to a comfortable medium. I kind of have a paper style that is quite distinct (atleast I think so) and then a graphic-style that is also distinct (again....my opinion).

[Lauren]

I wouldnt stress about it Dlyn - it took me a long time to settle into a style I really felt comfortable with and I did that by basically just what Amanda suggested - scraplifting some layouts I really liked and then eventually I started just changing them a bit here and there and now I just do my own thing!!- But you know this is all supposed to be fun - if you worry about it too much then that may be why you feel your style is a bit stiff - let go and just slap things down willy - nilly and see how you go

[valeri]

I don't have a "style" yet, I am still trying anything and everything I can. Maybe someday I will have a style, but more then likely I will just do what I like at the moment, lol.

Just try everything and have fun, you will sort out what you like and what you don't

[elizabethlmccoy]

I agree with valeri!! I have no style...at least I don't see one...I like to try new things. that is all I also tried the scraplifting and that really helps you get out of a slump....b/c you don't really have to think that much.

[dlyn]

Thanks for all your advice! I'd be thrilled to be able to put a page together like any one of you. Maybe it would help my pages if I forgot how to turn on "view grid". lol

[Amber]

Another suggestion for you is to purchase some of the scrapbooking magazines and look at the LO's there for inspiration. But if you dont want to spend the money on it- look at the gallery here and just scraplift- an idea, color scheme, elements used- anything goes!