The Wine Bottle - An Allegory

Once upon a time, there was a group of wine lovers who loved nothing more than drinking a tasty goblet of fine wine. They carefully planned their wine-tasting parties, and even created a MeetUp group for it. They started small businesses to introduce more people to the glorious passion of wine and developing "the nose" for appreciating superb vintages. They collected books about wine and eagerly shared them with others. Some even created magazines and shared their expertise with others about how to find the best wine at bargain prices.

Some wine lovers lived for "wine excursions" when they visited a special part of the world where vineyards grew. They relished the opportunity to learn even more about wine as they enjoyed drinking a new discovery. They would share these findings with other wine lovers and all were very happy. It was wonderful being a wine lover!

One day, during a wine party, one of the wine lovers suddenly gasped. He held aloft a cobalt blue wine bottle and exclaimed, "What is this? Such beauty! Such artistry! How divine is this bottle!"

Soon, other wine lovers were huddling around the man, eager to understand his delight so they, too, could experience it. He seemed so enthralled that they concluded there must be a good reason for such delirium.

Suddenly, another wine lover excitedly said, "Yes! Yes! The bottle is indeed beautiful! The color is magnificent! Let us write homages to this glorious form!" Soon, the wine lovers abandoned their glasses and brought their chairs around the table where they could stare intently at the bottle, murmuring how exquisite it was, how sublime, how they had never seen anything like it.

In time, the wine lovers abandoned their magazines, their outings, and their wine tours. New magazines came out about bottles. They visited bottle-making factories and listened carefully to the owners as they described how to make the most perfect bottle. Some former wine lovers fought for the chance to design a bottle and even abandoned their families as they stayed up late into the night working on their creations. A few even became addicted to the Internet as they scoured the websites of bottle designers and tried to steal ideas. Some joined message boards and argued about who had the best bottle design and bragged if they were chosen to be on a bottle design team.

There were competitions of how to design the best bottle. A few won awards and the Grand Prize Winner had her bottle featured in the Smithsonian. Those who didn't make the cut were told they were still worth something in life, maybe not as a Bottle Artist, but to still have hope. A few of those who were not chosen decided to give up bottles altogether and start drinking liquid from cans. "Who needs bottles?" grumbled more than a few fat and ugly former winos.

They definitely thought it was an unfortunate turn of events if someone showed up at a Bottle Party with last year's bottle design. It simply showed how ignorant they were of true bottle artistry and its progression from humble glass work to monumental artistic statements that rivaled other great works of art such as Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.

One day, a wine lover came to one of the Bottle Parties and took a drink of wine. "This is fabulous!" She loudly proclaimed. Everyone stopped. One snooty young Bottle Artist said, "Um. It's not what's inside that's important. It's what's on the outside. Loser."

The wine lover looked at Miss Snooty with a mixture of amazement and pity. She raised her glass high. "My young friend, you have here an amazing glass of life, ready to be thoroughly relished and enjoyed! There is a perfect time for all things and this, my dear, is the perfect time to enjoy such a fine wine! The bottles serve a purpose, for without them, the wine could not be shared with our families and friends. We could not bring the wine to special celebrations and drink to the health of our loved ones. It would be hard to share without the bottles. But...it is just a bottle."

At that point, there was a loud cry from the Bottle Artists who told the Wine Lover she was simply ignorant and pedestrian. The Bottle Artists truly knew the 411 and wine wasn't it.

Meanwhile, another group gathered around this new Wine Lover and thanked her for reminding them of how much they really, really, really loved wine. They went back to gathering and talking about wine, drinking wine, and being quite satisfied with wine, even if it came out of a cardboard box.

And they lived happily ever after.

Now. Here is the inspiration for the above.

Drink up, me hearties! Yo Ho!

Why I Don't Post All The Time

Someone left a comment a few entries back which expressed frustration that this blog isn't updated often enough to keep her interest. I understand. I also know there are plenty of scrapbooking blogs that do post more entries and keep up with the current trends.

After checking in with ScrapSmack (which I've not done for a month), I saw another "Scrama" had developed. ("Scrama" is my own little term for a "scrap drama.") Such developments are unfortunate because they usually leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth. It divides loyalties and causes people to distrust one another. Is this the type of environment a businesswoman wants to create?

What amazes me is this type of "she said/she said" has been going on within the scrapbooking industry for too many years. For too long, scrapbooking business owners have been acting unprofessionally when it comes to dealing with potential problems.

Have an unhappy customer? Ask what would make them happy. Very simple. Very concise. Then listen and try to meet their need if possible. Yes, some people will never be satisfied. The best you can do at that point is offer a gift certificate and wish them well. Then let it go.

Competition is a part of any business. If there was an agreement, say, for a person to not design for any other company while working for Company A, then Company A has every right to terminate an agreement if it is broken. But if there was never an agreement - but more of an assumption (which is never good), then there is no justifiable reason to terminate someone.

What defines someone as being a true professional is a word which may sound foreign to some: Class.

It takes class, diplomacy, and grace to sever a working relationship while maintaining respect. I don't visit SiSTV very often. I wasn't impressed with a website that seemed to turn high-school-mentality into an art form. Creating an online presence that divided groups into the "haves" and the "have-nots" is not my idea of fun. The fact that this site has grown exponentially is a testimony to the very basic desire for recognition and affirmation; something we all crave but yet some find difficulty in achieving.

The latest "scrama" has one business owner explaining to her entire site that she "was forced to terminate" two obviously active and well-known members. Again, an unfortunate choice of words and an unfortunate situation. But one of the members posted on her own blog that she had sent an email of resignation before she "terminated" two hours later.

Now, aside from the fact that something seems to be amiss is the fact the business owner shot herself in the foot.

Why even post a thread about the situation at all?

Instead, it could have been done discreetly, and with class, by simply stating:

Suzy Scrapper A and Suzy Scrapper B have decided to step down from their responsibilities at XYZ Scrap Site and pursue other ventures (or spend more time with family...). We wish them the best. (Or in their lingo, "We will always 'LUB' them and wish them the very best!!!")

That, my friends, would have saved the business owner a whole lotta trouble, doubts, questions, etc. - and avoided being analyzed to death by the scrap community.

I think the challenge some women have is the need to defend their choices. As far as women have climbed on the corporate ladder - the need to justify their choices, especially when it comes to terminating an unproductive employee or relationship - is a very, very strong one. I believe insecurity is one factor for this driving need to over-explain a situation. Another is the desire to be "liked." (Which is why it is extremely tough for a woman to be a leader. You can't always be liked. But you need to be fair and resolute with your choices once you make them.)

I stay on the sidelines because I'm still hoping to see a day where women in the scrapbooking industry mature and throw out their need to have a constant slamfest in order to enjoy a very real and meaningful hobby. Why denigrate others in order to feel good? Why manipulate information to make you look good? (Or kind, smart, understanding...) Why engage in public tantrums that only make you look like your moody three-year old?

I love this hobby very much but I do have other things in my life that take up my time, just as many others. I'm wondering if my hopes for the industry to develop some sense of integrity is all for naught. I just don't know at this point.

Is the Future Digital?

I've been noticing that more of the traditional scrapbookers are starting to consider trying digital scrapbooking. I've been hearing various reasons - everything from having to deal with too much "stuff," the time it takes to store and sift through said "stuff," and that the computer seems to make things quicker and easier (to a certain degree).

I work part-time at a national craft outlet. I took the job for a few reasons. First. because it gave me some flexibility in my schedule. But also, I get to talk to scrapbooking consumers and note what they're buying. It never fails to amaze me how disconnected industry magazines are from the greater percentage of their market. I refrained from saying "target market" because we know who the target market is - the 18-30 year old.

However, time and time again I'm helping scrapbookers who are on the average, around 42, and who are looking for specifically themed products. These are not women searching for the latest offerings from 7Gypsies or Piggy Tales. No. What they want are usually themed papers having to do with either sports or seasons.

Many scrapbookers have become tired of the constant pressure to buy. They recognize they are more collectors than anything and in this time of high gas and food prices, not many are willing to plunk down $30-$50 a visit at a hobby retail store.

More people are becoming familiar with digital cameras. There are plenty of themed digital scrapbooking kits out there for them. As much as many say, "I'll never give up my paper..." I'm starting to see less of them and wonder if some have "lost that loving feeling" for paper?

The Leisure Economy

I discovered a very interesting book: The Leisure Economy: How Changing Demographics, Economics, and Generational Attitudes Will Reshape Our Lives and Our Industries by Linda Nazareth.

Nazareth has predicted that the aging Boomer generation is going to create a new "leisure economy" for the future - in other words, people who have more time on their hands and the money to do something about it.

I discovered this through an article that talked about a local scrapbooking store that was closing because the owner's landlord wanted a five-year lease agreement. The woman, who sounds like a very astute businesswoman, said she was tired of putting her house on the line for her business. The economy is soft right now and when the economy sours, leisure activities are usually the first to get cut from a family budget.

From the Salt Lake Tribune article, "Beloved Draper Craft Store Will Soon Be Only A Memory":

Now Packer and others must look for other opportunities, and that won't be easy in a sluggish economy. Leisure activities are the first to get cut when the budget gets tight. And, as Amber points out, " there are large scrapbook product stashes in most homes and with a tighter budget, ladies can continue the craft they love without purchasing new products." Which brings us back to this concept of the leisure economy.

Economist Linda Nazareth laid it all out in her book, The Leisure Economy: How Changing Demographics, Economics, and Generational Attitudes Will Reshape Our Lives and Our Industries. She estimates that by 2015, the demographic shift alone will catapult total leisure hours in the United States by 12 percent from their 2005 level. Leisure hours for those aged 55 to 64 will grow by 33 percent, and for those aged 65 and over, by 28 percent, she says. The gains will continue for another decade after that.

That would seem to be good news for scrapbooking businesses. One problem: scrapbooking is a middle-class hobby, although the competitive creep in the industry threatens to change that.

You see, the leisure economy isn't for everyone - just those who can afford it. And that number is dwindling by the day, thanks to a sorry health care system, the fragile state of Social Security and a mortgage crisis that took the American Dream and made it into a Wes Craven movie.

If, as Nazareth predicts, the shift to a leisure economy results in a new
category of haves and have nots, scrapbooking as we know it won't survive. Middle-class scrappers will have no choice but to start doing it on the cheap or give up the hobby altogether, and small retailers like AMM will become a rare breed indeed.

I know that craft retailers are scrambling. I can't help but think that in about seven years, the scrapbooking hobby could enjoy another wave of new devotees. But will there be any stores left to meet the need?

On the other hand, us scrappers are a "scrappy" lot. The modern scrapbooking trend started with construction paper, after all, maybe that's where it will return.

Disconnect: The Plight of Creating Keepsakes

Today I was able to attend the Memories Scrapbooking Expo. I could not help but notice that the majority - and I'm talking about an 85-90% majority, were middle-aged women and beyond. I would venture a guess that the average age at this event was 45.

Get that? 45. Not 19. Not 25.

Forty-five.

I also could not help but wonder how many of these women have been called "cows" or some other less-than-complimentary name by a minority of younger women. If you look at the direction of Creating Keepsakes, you'd think that the majority of the scrapbooking industry is a group of women between the ages of 19-30. From what I saw today, nothing could be further from the truth.

I know what Creating Keepsakes wants. It wants the younger market. It thinks the industry is dying and the only way to save it is to pump in new life by attracting a younger consumer. But where was that younger consumer today? At a large building, checking out stamps and paper? Nope. I did not see groups of giggling girls prancing around the place nor did I see even a couple of BFF's checking out the latest "Make 'N Take" table.

I cancelled my subscription to CK a few years ago. I saw the beginnings of this slavish pursuit of a minority market and thought it was a mistake. This was even before the infamous "Hall-of-Fame-gate." If you had asked the ladies at this scrapbooking expo, I bet most of them wouldn't know what "HOF" stood for much less who was on the list.

Meanwhile, CK slumbers on.

For the Love of Scrapbooking

I don't have as many visitors as ScrapSmack, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw she had included my site in her blogroll. I'm a big fan of Guess and her adorable "cat's eye" glasses. I always get a good chuckle when I see some of her graphics, especially during the "So There!" period. I don't write as much as she does, but it's because I'm involved with probably way too many projects and various ways of creating a living.

I will tell you another reason I'm a fan of Guess - maybe the most important one. I admire her because she refuses to be bullied. She has taken on the ScrapSmack blog to offer people the opportunity to vent amidst much harassment. The question of why people need to vent is better answered by psychologists, but I will say venting has its place, especially when you're letting an industry know how you really feel and that venting may just help put more dollars in their pockets.

I have seen some of the visitors get very personal with their criticism, but we all know this is a very personal type of craft. We're not just throwing together a few strands of yarn with knitting needles or taking needle-nose pliers to a necklace. We're placing photographs of ourselves, our children, our spouses, girlfriends, or boyfriends, family members, "out there." We're putting our lives on display, for the whole world to see.

Some of you know I have taken issue with some scrapbookers calling a craft "art", when by definition, it doesn't fit. Art, according to Merriam-Webster's definition, is "decorative or illustrative elements in printed matter" but "Craft" is "an occupation or trade requiring manual dexterity or artistic skill, and plural : articles made by craftspeople."

In my eyes, I see an artist as taking brush to canvas or even using mixed mediums such as textiles. But I have never seen an artist use photographs. Photographs are usually acknowledged as an artistic field in their own right and generally, artists want to create their own visual masterpieces without relying on someone else's work.

I know some scrapbookers define themselves as "life artists" or "designers." If they want to create another category of art, they may just end up doing it. Who knows? Only time will tell if it will stand. Embroidered pincushions used to be all the rage during the Victorian era. Not so much today.

If someone wants to define themselves as an artist, then be prepared to take the baggage that comes with it. Artists throughout history have "suffered" for their art. And by suffering, I mean distress endured both physically, mentally, and spiritually. It's not just the "starving artist syndrome" that has plagued creative people. It has been people who just don't get the artist's vision. We have plenty of examples of how an artist's work wasn't appreciated while they were alive but after their death, suddenly their work became valuable. These same artists often wore the criticism as a badge of honor because they saw themselves as doing something unique and different - something that hadn't been done before.

If you are spending inordinate amounts of time fretting over where exactly to place that piece of chipboard, you may be exerting your inner artist. But after it's all said and done, and you submit it for consideration to a magazine or online gallery - be prepared for the hits you may take. Quit whining about it. Nothing is worse than a whiny artist who can't understand why everyone isn't gaga over their latest creation. Not everyone will get it. The more important question you need to ask yourself as an artist is this: did you execute your vision? If not, then back to the drawing board. If yes, then to hell with what anyone else thinks - including anonymous message boards.

What really annoys me is people who want to classify themselves as artists but then get all bent out of shape when the usual criticism comes. And who's to say which criticism is "right" or "wrong?' It's out there and yes, criticism will happen. (Or to steal a phrase from a movie, "Create it and The Critics Will Come.")

I think what we need to remember before getting all pumped full of self-importance is this: Scrapbooking is supposed to be a fun way to keep our memories alive. If someone wants to look at it as their "art," fine. Just don't look down on those who are still slapping stickers on their mass-produced pieces of generic cardstock. And for those who love their stickers - if someone wants to consider what they're doing, "cutting-edge" (and yes, I have to restrain my eyeballs from rolling out of my sockets on that phrase), fine. We obviously have two camps that see scrapbooking differently.

And finally, if someone is playing the diva, it should be no surprise when they get "smacked" by a group of people who understand that at the end of the day - it's all paper, photographs, and adhesive.

Welcome to the Zany, Crazy World of Scrapbooking, Melissa Joan Hart!

Melissa Joan Hart, otherwise known as "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," is pregnant with her second child. Not only does she seem to have a busy life with her first son, a husband who has a rock band, and her own acting career - she also wants to launch her own scrapbooking line of products.

I found this entry on a celebrity gossip site:

I am preparing to do an online show about scrapbooking and assist in bringing
newcomers to the hobby by helping them pursue it through the use of the
internet. I will be creating my own line of scrapbook products for the modern
woman who loves to make memories like me! Here I am at my dining room table with Mason's scrapbook, surrounded by my supplies!

You have to scroll down to see Melissa seated at a table with her scrapbook. I'm going to be very interested to see the online show she produces. She's 31 years old and has a pretty good following. I always enjoy it when I see someone outside the industry (and especially involved with Hollywood) sing the praises of scrapbooking. Good luck, Melissa Joan Hart!