Scrapbook advice written on the back of a business card

I recently heard about a book concept that struck me as applicable to scrapbooking (Though really, what isn’t? Am I right?). The book is Advice Written on the Back of a Business Card: Leaders share their most valued words of guidance by Roger Dean Smith.

Mr. Smith’s idea was to ask hundreds of successful business people in various industries this question:

Imagine that you are about to give your business card to a young person entering your profession. But first, you turn that card over and write a short piece of advice to help them get started in their career. What would you write on the back of your own business card to help them?

Do you see where I’m going with this? I think we as a scrapbooking community are full of lessons learned—about photography, telling stories, buying products, combining colors well, etc.—and the advice that comes from learning those lessons.

And we’re certainly a generous bunch. I mean how many hobbies do you know that like to give as much as us? After all, I don’t hear anything about the American Hunters and Shooters Association pulling their resources to help sick children feel loved by sending them fresh venison (à la Jennifer McGuire’s Cards for Kids drive). Or about members of the Dumpster Divers’ Association who donate the antiques and CDs they find to the homeless (like all the scrappy groups that collect and donate supplies to homes for the elderly or women’s shelters). But then, maybe they do and I missed hearing about it. Nonetheless, people in our hobby love to share not only what they have or what they make with their supplies…but also what they know.

So, I would like to urge you to take out your virtual business card, flip it over and jot down a short but vital piece of advice to the new scrapbooker. In other words:

Imagine that you are about to give your business card to a person just starting to scrapbook. But first, you turn that card over and write a short piece of advice to help them get started in their hobby. What would you write on the back of your own business card to help them?

And by business card I mean the comments at the end of this blog post. Please take a moment to participate. I would love to compile all your hard-won wisdom and make it available to those just getting started (or who feel stuck and uncreative, for that matter). Thanks so much for sharing.

Here’s my business card’s worth:
Just start putting pictures, stories and paper together, and don’t feel that you have to know a lot about design concepts before you begin. Seek to learn the theories behind good design as you go. And don’t feel at all guilty about scraplifting; it’s a great way to learn and to explore different styles.