Fighting Creative Block - Katie the Scrapbook Lady

I cannot tell you how excited I am for today's interview!!! Katie Nelson is one of my favorite digital scrapbookers in the UNIVERSE! I look forward to reading her blog every day. It's simply inspiring. She's a "real life" person whose passion is to record her story. When I sent out invitations to different people to participate in this feature about creative block, I chose a few "big names" that I figured would politely decline, and Katie was one of them. When she sent me back a YES I literally jumped up and down in my kitchen!!!



So without any further adieu....here's Katie!

My name is Katie Nelson but I go by “Katie the Scrapbook Lady” in the online world. I started paper scrapping when I was 14. I discovered digital scrapbooking in 2005 and never looked back. I blog at scrapbookladypages.com where I share my projects, inspirations, and creative passions. I’m a contributing writer and team member at The Daily Digi where I help teach thousands of people about the joys of digital scrapbooking. I’m a creative team member for the Shabby Princess. I’m also a course instructor at Big Picture Classes where I currently have a self-paced project on creating easy & color photo mosaic albums. I’m also a regular guest on the weekly Paperclipping Digi Show podcast where we have fun talking all about digi!



What causes creative block for you?
When I’m tired or sick I have a hard time feeling creative. I really need to take care of myself if I want to have the energy to create.



Which is harder, getting started or getting finished? Why?
Getting started is the hardest part for me. Finding the motivation and energy to begin is sometimes a roadblock for me. Usually once I get started, it is on my mind until I finish so I feel very driven to finish.

What do you do when you get stuck in the middle of a layout or project?
I will take small breaks when I feel stuck, but I find the best way to get through it is to just power on and keep working. Eventually, it all clicks and then it gets much easier. I find if I feel stuck, that I usually am overthinking the whole process. If I ask myself “What do I need to do to finish this?” I can usually find the answer within myself and get it done.

Do you have a photo of a "stuck project?" (any plans for getting it un-stuck?)



I started this digital layout more than 5 months ago in the hopes of researching my family tree. I created this layout to go with a post I wrote for The Daily Digi about Scrapping Your Family Tree. I know it won’t take much effort to finish it– most of it involves simply asking my parents some questions and sending a few emails. I just keep putting it off though, mostly because I filed it away on my external hard drive. I need to put this on my computer desktop so I remember to get it finished!

Where do you find inspiration?
This is a really broad answer, but I have to say the internet. I find SO much online that inspires me. I have several sites that I visit every day for creative inspiration; Flickr, The Daily Digi, Pinterest, and the Gallery Standouts Finger Pointing blog.


Do you have any "go to" tricks or techniques that always work for you?
My 2 best “go to” tricks are:
1. Use digital scrapbook templates. I almost always use templates these days and it makes it quicker, easier, and more fun to scrap!
2. Add some type of border or edge treatment to layouts. I did a post about this on The Daily Digi because it is one of the most useful scrapbooking tips I’ve ever found.




Do you ever find inspiration outside the digital scrapbooking world? How does that "outside inspiration" translate to the digital canvas?
I really like typography and graphic design. I may not copy the inspirations I find in those areas, but they do influence my style of scrapping. I find that I like clean lines, big photos, and great fonts.



I love Katie and all of the wonderful, inspiring ideas she provides to digital scrapbookers. Please check out her blog and her flickr photostream. You won't regret it!