Crafting and Connections
So I'm flirting with a new "craft"--scrapbooking--and I've been meditating today on an interesting observation/question.
Why, when we have so many electronic options available for archiving information, are women (mainly) spending thousands (a low estimate, I'm sure) of dollars annually to purchase paper and other earthbound, physical supplies to record their life experiences? I wonder sometimes if it isn't, in part, a desire to connect to the unwired world, a natural response to an increasing lack of connectivity to people. When I look at some of the magazines with their endless parades of sample pages, I get a sense that I'm seeing something false, a representation, for example, of what these women want their children to be instead of a record of who they are. I don't mean to sound harsh...it's just kinda freakish to look at these lavish spreads celebrating children with no event attached to them. It's like a cardboard cutout of life. At least, that's how I see it.
And the altered book thing? What is that all about if not an attempt to reclaim the printed book, an acknowledgement of its impending disappearance and eventual status as artistic artifact.
Don't know why I'm thinking these things. I just wanted to get my 20+ years of photos into some books with some journaling.
Comments
It's like a counter culture...scrapbookers. People are obsessed and spending tons of $$. And they have parties too...what is it? Create a memory? Or something. It is pricey too. Gracie, my daughter, is totally into it. And now Cam, the 6 year old boy is too. Be careful Anita. ;)
Posted by: Kathleen | August 27, 2004 08:04 AM