Creative Journey Blog Series--Meet Guest #2!

Welcome back, friends! Thanks for joining me for the next edition of the Creative Journey blog series.

It's ironic, because just this week I've been struggling with feeling like I haven't progressed in the industry, I'm not good enough, etc. Even though I have been blessed with wonderful opportunities, the insecurity doesn't just disappear, so I need this blog series this week as much as anybody.

Today's guest is the funny, wonderful and talented Lisa Truesdell!

Here's what Lisa shared about her journey in the industry:

I started, as many do, by finding the Pub board at 2peas. totally intrigued by the idea of having my work published. I submitted sporadically for a while, and then started following magazine calls more closely. Creating for calls pushed me beyond my comfort zone - and deadlines make me more motivated to get to my desk! There were a lot of ups and downs - I learned quickly to separate my emotions from the "rejections." I learned that there's a lot of WORK involved, and that it doesn't always pay off. I learned to weigh the pros and cons of every opportunity that came along, and to pass on ones that didn't resonate with me. I learned to give up some dreams for the sake of others.

I've been working fairly steadily in the industry for almost 4 years now. I still submit. I still get discouraged at times. I still make pages that I hate (there's one about to be pulled apart for pieces on my desk as I write!). And I still get a thrill when I get an email about a layout being picked up or an assignment.

I love what I do. It isn't a perfect job - for all the fun creative time there's paperwork, supply lists, following up and stressful deadlines to deal with. But at the end of the day, the fact that i get to share inspiration and help to promote memory keeping really fuels my creative soul.

Lisa also has some great advice for scrappers looking to break into the industry:

My best advice is to have a sounding board. I have a handful of friends that started making their way into the industry around the same time as I did, and they were (and ARE!) an invaluable support. They were the fresh eyes to look at a layout that wasn't working. They were there to commiserate when an opportunity passed me by. They were there to cheer for me when things went well. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be where I am today without the love and support of these women.

I also think it's important to learn how to market yourself. what do YOU do well? What can you offer a company? There are a lot of designers out there who make great pages--learn what's special about your work, and figure out how it can benefit you and the people you work for.

I've also found that it's KEY to separate your emotions from your work. Not easy, but really essential so that you can be "in the game" but still keep your love for the craft in place.

Here's a layout that illustrates Lisa's fun, eclectic style:


As Lisa says:Do you ever finish a page and it just evokes EXACTLY the emotion you were going for? This is one of those pages. It totally captures my littlest right now.

Lisa Truesdell lives in Omaha, Nebraska, in a midtown neighborhood filled with big trees and old houses. When her mother started scrapbooking, Lisa was surprised to see how far the hobby had come, and quickly fell in love with a craft that allowed her to experiment with colors and patterns, words and photographs. She's now been scrapbooking for 6 years and her pages are detailed and whimsical. She loves to mix and layer bits of patterned paper with lots of sewing. Lisa finds inspiration in quilt patterns and decor magazines, and loves to record the small moments in her family's life that would otherwise be forgotten.

Lisa has been married to Matthew for 13 years and is a stay-at-home mom to their three boys--Alex, Ben and Sam. When she's not making pages or chasing her boys, she is slowly teaching herself to use her sewing machine on fabric. She also subscribes to too many magazines and is useless from the moment she starts a new book until she finishes it.

Lisa was a Creating Keepsakes Honorable Mention winner in 2006, and has had her work published in BHG Scrapbooks Etc., Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbook Trends and Cards Magazine. She is currently designing for Studio Calico and is a Two Peas in a Bucket Garden Girl.

Thanks for joining us, Lisa! And don't forget to pop by next Monday for another entry in the series!