all my layouts are starting to look the same!

[Amy Carey]

and I really don't know what to do about it! I don't really want to change my whole style cause I usually LIKE my style. But then, all my pages start to look the same. What do you guys do in a predicament like that? I don't want to change things up too much cause I gotta be me, ya know? LOL I think Part of the problem is I go look at all the galleries I upload to and the only one with ANY COMMENTS is here. I mean I used to get at least a few on my pages elsewhere, but here in maybe the past 6 months or more, we're talking less than 5 page views and NO comments on ANY pages. So does that mean my style is stagnating and I need to do something or does it mean my style doesn't appeal to the general masses or what? anyone else ever feel this way?

[momtutu]

Ok, I really love your gallery!! I think you have great style and color sense - your photos are great and the amount of layering you do is really nice and frames your photos well. I have so much less experience than you so I'm not really one to give advice but the only thing I noticed that is a constant with your lo's is that you tend to always use square or rectangular photos. Maybe try using some different shapes or extractions of your photos for a slightly different look? I think you can definitely keep your style, but using some circles, parallelegrams and extractions may give you a little more of that variety you are looking for?

[ZaCola3]

When ever I come to this point, I ask myself this question...Are my LO's unappealing to ME? If the answer is NO, then I know it is time to change something.
I really have been reading a lot on graphic design elements, just using google to find articles about things that make things graphically appealing. I also have tried very hard to keep the parts of me that I love in my LO's. I will never be a multi-photo scrapper-I mean I make LO's that have more than one photo, but it is rare. So I try to build on that. I also like to show my LO's to my family, and if they are happy than I know I'm headed in the right direction. I also have a few very good friends whom are my scrapping buddies and without them I couldn't be so willing to try new things, they keep me focused and grounded. Just having them to bounce ideas off of makes all the difference in the world. TY Meghan, Kellie and KCB...:wub:.
I try very hard not to let any of my validation as a scrapper to come from people who do not know me, those people don't matter. If I take that equation out, then I find myself able to be a much better scrapper for the people who do matter, that feeling alone makes my pages shine, IMO.

If I want to highlight a kit, or think one of my LO's is outstanding, I will play the praise game at DST, which I think is the only way to get noticed there, the gallery is just to huge and moves too fast.

I hope you get out of your funk soon Amy! Try not to let this bring you down as a scrapper girl...you aren't a Sugarbabe for no reason!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Scraplift :) Seriously. It's how I break out of my box. I won't adopt those styles for me, but it's nice to do something different every once in awhile,and along the way - you may pick up a few things to incorporate into what you're already doing.

I'll say something controversial - I think gallery comments are overrated. There. I said it. In a great community like SSD, I love that everyone is so active and encouraging, and that's where it's most important. I go to the big open galleries to look for ideas, and never bother to notice if somene has 500 comments or none. Praise games tend to really focus comments in a tight cluster (everywhere, I'm not talking about just here), and folks stop browsing. And galleries are SO huge that things get passed by so quickly.

[sprauncey1]

Scraplift :) Seriously. It's how I break out of my box. I won't adopt those styles for me, but it's nice to do something different every once in awhile,and along the way - you may pick up a few things to incorporate into what you're already doing.

I'll say something controversial - I think gallery comments are overrated. There. I said it. In a great community like SSD, I love that everyone is so active and encouraging, and that's where it's most important. I go to the big open galleries to look for ideas, and never bother to notice if somene has 500 comments or none. Praise games tend to really focus comments in a tight cluster (everywhere, I'm not talking about just here), and folks stop browsing. And galleries are SO huge that things get passed by so quickly.

Ditto.

I also think people are so busy these days and as much as we like this hobby/obsession to grow, I think it also loses it's personal touch. So unless I play the praise game, I get almost no comments. But I know I'm not THAT bad!
Also does it seem to anyone else that we are getting faster at scrapping. I mean when I started 4.5 years ago it seemed like most people only made a LO every three days or so, now it is daily or more! So that just means the galleries are that much more "flooded" with LOs and we spend less time browsing them.

[lizzyfizzy]

i agree with all that is said here, but i wanted to chime in and say that all your lo's look unique. the same 'style' but not all the same, kwim? i think it's cool when you see a lo and can tell right away who's is who's...so many great scrappers have a definitive style. embrace yours. :) it's hot.

[amystoffel]

Scraplift :)
I'll say something controversial - I think gallery comments are overrated. There. I said it. In a great community like SSD, I love that everyone is so active and encouraging, and that's where it's most important. I go to the big open galleries to look for ideas, and never bother to notice if somene has 500 comments or none. Praise games tend to really focus comments in a tight cluster (everywhere, I'm not talking about just here), and folks stop browsing. And galleries are SO huge that things get passed by so quickly.
I so completely agree with this Darcy. It's nice to get comments and all...but I would prefer for real comments because someone saw my layout and felt compelled...but not because I am playing a praise game and they HAVE to.

Personally....I love your gallery. I think it's beautiful and I think you have a personal style.

If you are really in a funk...lift. Whenever I feel like all my LO's look the same (I recently went through a phase where unwittingly I was doing the same composition over and over)

p.s there is a reason you are a babe....and it's because you RAWK

[ColleenSwerb]

I'm with ya Darcy! Sure I love when people comment on my LO's, but as everyone has said, the galleries move so quickly now, and people are also super busy and don't necessarily have the time to browse after they u/l.

Rock on with your bad self girl! If you like what you're doing, then keep doing it!

[4noisyboys]

I totally agree with Darcy as well.

I love your gallery, and while it is all very similar in style, they all look totally different.

There is a reason we are over here...we like this style!! Sometimes, I want to change it up a bit though. I'll try something new. I might not get very many comments here, but over at DST, it might make GSO. Every store has their own style that people love, and that is why they shop there, and those types of layouts will get more comments. I hardly ever get a comment at MSA, and occasionally some at DST.

I'm cool with my layouts. Some I love...other's I don't care for! I find it interesting though to see which layouts do well at the different galleries!

[lovely1m]

First, your style is unique and I love it. Its a great style, but what's really important is that YOU love your pages. I have to remind myself of that often. Honestly, I just had to do it again recently. I was feeling down cause I spent a good chunk of time and money here yet I have been rejected from every single creative team I have applied for here. I had to remind myself, that maybe they don't like my LOs (which does hurt, but is understandable), that I do like my LOs and a lot of other people do, too. Hell, I have 5 CTs and they aren't little, unknown teams either. KWIM? I mean you are a SugarBabe, you have what most people on this site are striving for, clearly, you are a wonderful scrapper.

If you personally feel its all looking the same, do some lifting, pick up a unique template, but only do it cause you want to, not cause you think others don't like your work anymore.

[Nettio]

I took Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life class last year and one of the things she said that really struck a cord with me was this: She doesn't care if she uses the same design over and over because the stories and photos are always different. So even though some (or even most) elements will be the same, it's still never going to be the exact same page.

That's what I see when I look at your gallery. There's a distinct design style but each page is still unique in their own way.

As for using gallery comments as some kind of scrap barometer, I wouldn't recommend that. There's way too many reasons for variations in comments that have nothing to do with the actual page. How busy the site is, the time of day, the day of the week, if the weather is nice, how many comments you left: the list goes on and on. :D As long as you are happy with your pages, that's all that matters. :thumbup:

[OrianaVianey]

Well, I think pretty much everything have been said.

Just want to add that I've been in your position very often. And yes scraplifts and challenges are my salvation in more than one way. Sometimes I just plain copy cat an layout (with proper scarplift credit, of course). But try not to be afraid of trying new things. Sometimes I've done thing that make me puke... LOL but I've also had my sparks of brilliance making LOs totally out of my comfort zone. I won't change my style, but I've always learn from those new thing and very often I blend them into my own style!

[Aggie Aviso]

Oh Amy, we always feel that way one time or another. I also think as scrappers we "grow" and "evolve". Before when I was starting, I lived for comments - I dont have a lot of IRL scrap friends so the comments validate me as a scrapper. Then I grew my own style and then realized that I need to make sure to put the story down, etc etc. Sometimes it still gets to me that I dont receive as many comments but I remind myself I dont have time to leave love as often as I did back then :)

Ditto what Darcy said, scraplift, use templates. I tend to stick to a very very linear (aka boring LOL) style and scraplifting makes me step out of my box :)