Earlier this year I discovered that I have aphantasia, which essentially means that I can't visualise anything in my head. I've always had it, I just never knew it was a thing. I never thought that people could actually see things in their mind. But they can and it turns out I'm the weird one. Figures.
Anyway, this discovery has led me to a whole heap of personal realisations. I now have a better understanding of why I do the things the way I do - including scrapbooking. I'm obsessed with photographing everything, and documenting it in albums and books, because I literally have no other way to visually access my memories.
And then it got me thinking about the way I scrap. My official scrap process is pick my pictures, elements, papers and whatnot, and then throw them all on a canvas and hope for the best. While I generally have a very vague idea as to what I want my page to look like, without actually physically sketching it out on paper (which I'm usually much too lazy to do), I'm essentially designing blind. I have no idea how things will fit, I don't even know if it'll work. All I know is that I want these pictures and that flower and that paper and I hope that it looks decent. I don't have an image in my head that I emulate on the canvas - I just take all my stuff, toss is together and move things around.
More often than not it doesn't work and I have to start again, or at the very least do some huge revising. So scrapping one page takes me ages.
I am super jealous of speed scrappers and I'm beginning to think that having the ability to visualise would make everything much easier. That I could figure things out in my head and then recreate it in Photoshop.
So how do normal people do it? Do you start with a design in your head that you bring to life on your page? Do you collect all your supplies with military efficiency and go step by step? Or do you just fling things at the canvas and hope for the best like I do?
Trish, I think it is human nature to assume that what is normal for us is normal for everyone else. I remember getting my first pair of glasses. I did not realize that there was a better way to see than what I saw. I had no clue that other people saw things differently than me. I think the same is true in other arenas. For example, I have always dreamed in vivid colour... almost every night, for as long as I can recall. I remember talking to someone a few years ago about dreams and they were saying how they sometimes dream, and usually in black and white. It threw me for a loop, just imagining that. The very few nights I have not dreamed were restless nights where I would wake tired and sluggish. I just always assumed everyone dreamed as I do. In short, you are not weird.
So, back to your topic. I have a similar problem. I have the images in my mind of how I want to create a page, but my mind-hand coordination prevents my reproducing those images either with paper or digitally. When I paper scrapped, I made a printable page that was half space for design/half lined for information. I would draw the design I had in mind (even if it did not really look like what was in my mind) and in the lower part I would list the papers, elements, text, etc I wanted to use. This would then go into a photo-safe folder with those items and all the pictures for that page. I would then begin the actual scrapping. Sometimes it would finish as I thought it would, sometimes that mind-hand thing would lead to odd pages. It was frustrating to me because in paper scrapping, every item has to count or you have wasted the money spent. In digital scrapping, I find some freedom that I can remove an item and no money is lost.
I also am jealous of those gifted people who seem to easily transform a blank canvas into a work of art. I remember going to overnight crops with plans to complete two pages, struggling to complete one of them. Beside me, my friends would be churning out many pages that were beautiful and seemingly effortless. I finally decided that "the way things are is the way things are," and I would do the best I could and not compare and focus on other people's giftings and talents. It would be easier if I could do it their way, but then it would not be "me."
"So how do normal people do it?" Sweetie, you are normal... just different. I am normal... just different. Everyone around us is normal... just different. If you could see inside each person's heart and mind, you would be able to see the different ways we each perceive colours, shadows, shapes, total designs, etc. Even those speed scrappers struggle with some issue in their creative workings.
For me, I start with the pictures, and I'll look at them and decide what should go with them (color, print, etc). Then often, because a blank page scares me, I'll open a layout template, and move a bunch of the pieces around, and then start adding my pictures and papers.
When I was in school to become an OT, we had an anatomy lab class where we were learning about the body. Dealing with our classmates' bodies as our lab partners, we learned quickly that there really is a "normal" range, but that's it. As for dreams, I rarely dream at all.
It's a curious question Trish. I don't feel like I have a very strong idea when I sit down to make something. I feel like I do just kind of throw stuff together and it somehow works out. Every once in a while I have something specific I'm trying to accomplish and that is often harder because trying to match what I have in my head is very difficult. I think my best work comes from having a vague idea of what I'm doing, but not too much idea because that's constricting.
A fellow aphantasia person! I have hardly any visual memory or imagination and much like you, I can take 8hrs to make one 12x12 layout and most of the time I'm still not happy with how it looks. I can tell that something is 'off' but I don't know which something it is that's off.. I learned about my aphantasia a few years ago when someone said they thought almost exclusively it pictures. It never even occurred to me that, that was a thing since that's not how it is for me and you don't really talk about how you think, you just.. do!
My process is mostly just finding a layout template that I like. I have designed a couple myself but, again, I can never get anything quite the way I want it and I usually exhaust myself trying and end up giving up anyway. After I find a template, I look for a photo(s) that I like and plug it into the template. (Now, I don't save any of my layouts, I do it only to challenge the nonexistent art side of my brain so I tend to scrap layouts around the same pictures over and over again.) I then look for a bundle (because it gives me the most to choose from) to download, usually from pixelscrapper, and start adding pieces starting with papers, then journal cards if I'll use any, then elements. I don't usually 'finish' my layouts. I get them to a point where I'm okay with how they look even if I'm not 100% satisfied and call it good. I'd make myself go crazy if I sat and tried to get each one to perfection
The fact that I don't keep my layouts for any reason helps alleviate some of the pressure to make them perfect and because I scrap the same photos multiple times makes it easier to leave them at 'good enough' only because I'll end up scrapping them again and maybe the next one is better. But also, I don't plan to save these layouts or print them, so I've got nothing on the line either.
Awesome question! I look forward to seeing other answers.
I never really see the page LO, I start with the pics then the colors, then I do lg embellishments, then small. I never use templates/QP's (quick pages) (unless I made them myself) and always start with a blank canvas. I go over and over the page kinda in layers until it's just the way I want it. Sometimes though I see a kit and a page comes to life in my head and then I have to find pics for it, but that's not very often.
OOOHHH I love the new word!
That's me! Gahh I hate it. I stare and stare and star and all I see if a square with a picture that doesn't look right.
What I find most helpful is scrap lifting. I look at others pages find stuff that speaks to me, then find a kit that goes with my pictures and then bam things seem to work their way out.
Also I like to use the pre-done layouts that the wonderful team puts together. They give a good basis and building blocks to try to see my own stuff come to life.
With the beautiful creations you come up with, Trish, I am really surprised to read your story.....
I always start with the format and the story. I write the story in word and then I copy/paste it in.
I like grids more than anything else... as they help me a lot with spacing... I look at the colors in the pics and try to make it work from there. I usually know what I want to make about-ish , like I previsualize the layouts like I do with photos I make.... and then I often end up with something different from my initial idea which pleases me more as it evolves from my initial idea and playing with ellies and trying different papers..... if that makes any sense.
If I have a lot of different colors in the shots I need a white background or at least white borders, frames or mats.
Will the story fit the space? Do I need a second page for the story? I decide on fonts for each month for my books. So the book will have 2 or 3 fonts only.
It's reassuring to know that my ramshackle process isn't too crazy - as with anything, everyone seems to do it differently.
@Madge: It is very weird to think that we see things differently. I think that's why it's taken so long for aphantasia to be recognised and properly studied. I sometimes get people asking me how I remember what my kids look like, or how I dream or how I can manage without visualisation. But I've managed just fine. In fact, I had no idea what I did was any different to anyone until it came up! And I take forever do one page. Doesn't help that I'm a bit of a perfectionist.
@Christina: I've come to rely more on templates too. I used to be all, nooooooo! Templates will stifle my creativity! And then I just tried one and it was amazing. Sometimes it's nice to have someone else do some of the work for you.
@Marisa: That's what I try to do. If I get too specific with my planning and can't get it right, I get frustrated and toss the whole thing.
@Kayl: Woo hoo! You're like, the third person I know that's got it. Pretty much everyone I've spoken to (aside from my sister and a cousin), are able to visualise. See, I'm a perfectionist but that's another problem entirely. Not only does it take me ages to make a page, but if it doesn't meet my standards, I have to start anew. Especially when I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I think it's why I'm around 5 years behind in my kids scrapbooking.
@Varia: That seems like such a delightfully streamlined process. I prefer to start with a blank canvas, but I do like templates too. I'm not a fan of quick pages though. I like the idea of them - you know, insert picture and you're done.
@Christianna: Sometimes I'll just look at one of my finished pages and hate it. I don't know why I hate it, I don't know what's wrong with it, but I do know that I'm gonna hit that delete button and start again! And I don't scrap lift as much as I should. There are some amazingly creative layouts out there.
@Bina: Abnormal and proud
I like grids. I like lines. I like things being evenly spaced. That's why I prefer digital scrapping over paper scrapping because I can never get things to line up perfectly.
I love the scrapbooking community!
I'd never heard of aphantasia. What an interesting discovery!
If it's any help, I almost never have a preconceived idea of how I want my layouts to come out. I choose my photos first and then look for papers. I put them together on the page in the most pleasing way I can fit them and then add elements last. My main point is to tell the story in the way I want to remember it and having it look nice and be a relaxing, creative outlet is just icing on the cake.
Aphantasia! Goodness, Trish, I think your creations are beautiful, & to think you make all your stuff not being able to visualise them...amazing, indeed!!!
As for me, I simply scroll through my files & its mostly some element or embellishment that has caught my eye for the present...then paper(s), etc nd photo...just throw everything together & arrange....rearrange...rearrange...& so on...till I like it. Yeah, it can take upto 2-3 hours!!!
If it starts getting on my nerves, I just find a suitable qp, plop the photo into the slot & be done with it.
Hey, what can you do, huh???