Creativity can be expressed in many different forms: writing, drawing, painting, knitting, crochet, pottery – there are a million and one ways that you can express your creative side, all of which can be incredibly therapeutic, one way or another. One of these outlets in particular, however, is scrapbooking – I must admit that it’s a personal favourite of mine!
With mediums like painting and sketching, there is some form of skill required when it comes to getting results – this is not the case with scrapbooking. You don’t need any artistic talent whatsoever to partake in it, and the best thing about it is that the only person you are doing it for is yourself. It can be a complete mess if you want it to be, because at the end of the day it is entirely for your benefit and no one else. It’s not going to look like Monet or a Van Gogh, and ultimately there’s no time constraint or deadline you have to work to either. You can start it one day and not even come back to it for a month! The point of it is to de-stress you, for it to be something you don’t have to pressure yourself to do if you’re surrounded by pressure already – for instance, if you have lots of assessment deadlines heading your way.
In addition, this kind of creative hobby doesn’t have to ruin your bank account either! The point of scrapbooking is to use scraps, so if you’ve got a notebook, spare festive wrapping paper, odd packaging, flowers in your back garden and some tape then you’re basically sorted! However, you can also feel free to spend money on this hobby if you would like to! This hobby caters to anyone with any kind of income, whether you’ve only got sellotape and scissors to hand, or whether you’re able to buy washi tape and vintage stickers online, anyone can enjoy it!
If you’re not quite sure where to start, then my advice is to head over to TikTok, which is where I personally have been obsessed with certain scrapbooking and journaling creators. Some include @its_a_knot, @accio.amber, @craftingbyanita and so many more wonderful people! Watching other people doing this can be therapeutic on its own too, with many of these kinds of videos having an ASMR quality to them that you can really enjoy – and of course, if they end up inspiring you then they all often have links to the materials that they use, so if you’re unsure where to get things from, then they have you all sorted!
Scrapbooking, in my opinion, is the very definition of creative freedom because there are no limits whatsoever regarding what you can include or how you go about it – ultimately though, there is no pressure attached and it is one of the many types of creative outlets that can help you de-stress, and really cater to your mental health.
So, get scrapbooking, and tag us on social media @uolstudentlife with your creations!
About the author
