Hi everybody! Last month, we explored how self-talk, what you say, out loud or to yourself, shapes your understanding of your own strength. This month, we’re talking about INDEPENDENCE – not the red, white and blue kind, but the YOU kind!
We crave our independence, but want to love and be loved. Can we have the best of both worlds? Our new design team explored just that and more this month with our INDEPENDENCE kit, using fashion-inspired images to fiercely strut our stuff and stitch together the future we want, and birds on a wire, for the bravery and poise we show as we find our footing, move from one part of life to another, and take off into the world.
Our mission at Scrapbooking from the Inside Out is to empower women and girls to express themselves authentically and honestly using our craft. Life, especially for women, can be a balancing act…a delicate dance between power and vulnerability, freedom and restraint, autonomy and blissful communion.
Do you feel the tension between holding on and letting go? Our DT does!
Design Team Coordinator Melissa Elsner loves her independence, but wouldn’t mind finding Mr. Right, either!
Laura Croft, like many of us, struggles with financial independence and, while she’s fortunate to be able to rely on her family, would love to be truly in control of her own purse strings…
Jamie Long’s dream and fear are the same…that her son will one day grow tall, strong and NOT need her. I think every mom can relate.
Mette Kallander has only one of her three children left at home and is on her way to being an ‘empty-nester’. She’s so proud of her kids, but they’ll always be her babies.
Pamela Palmarini knows that freedom is needed for her daughter to become the strong woman she’s meant to be, but like a lot of moms, is torn between wanting her to be safe, and wanting her to soar.
Every month we create a kit that uses the freshest supplies along with symbolism that will help you tell your real story. Our industry-exclusive FREE Inspiration Page each month provides you with a multimedia support system – including deep journaling prompts, a music playlist, quotes, photos and evocative challenges to make your tender heart and creative mind and hands flow.
We’ve also got an amazing, deep and real community of women just like you who want to share what truly matters. And with our kits, there are no sneaky add-ons to buy – just the perfect amount of stylish and new paper, beautiful and meaningful embellishments and crazy-good variety!
Is there a part of life where you struggle with independence or merging…holding on or letting go?
Leave a comment here and tell me about your experience of independence, and you’ll be entered to win the INDEPENDENCE kit. And do come join us online…we would love to welcome you and join you on your journey. Come on by and Explore Your Inner World!
Rachel Kaufman
P.S.: Want to really dig deep? Registration is open for our premiere boutique in-person weekend retreat: CRAFT: Creating Reflective Art for Transformation, on the sand in Santa Monica, CA, November 11-13. Learn more!
My struggle with independence is knowing I don’t know how to be. I’ve always lived with my parents and then my husband – I’m scared of a time when someday I could be on my own, and have to count on myself for everything…
As my children gain independence (the youngest is off to kindergarten in the fall), I am reclaiming the independence I once had and it feels GOOD!
I couldn’t wait to be out and on my own—and I’ve never looked back!
Even though I am married, I carry the weight of most family and home matters; this has made me a much stronger woman. I hope when my daughters gain their independence, they have learned from my strength.
My son is 14 and is gaining more and more independenence. I can now leave the house and he can watch the younger son. It means I can do more and he can do more. They are growing up.
Wish I could join you…
Anyway, I have learned to be independent over the years–it is difficult for me. I even started out with someone in the womb with me–I’m a twin! Thanks for a chance to win! Rachel’s kits are the bomb!
I have always counted on my husband being the one to pay the bills, gas up the cars and keeping everything in order. Now I’m forced to be independent and take on these responsibilities on top of all the others (work at home and a part-time job) due to his disability. I didn’t even know where to start when he got sick. I felt I was in a limbo. It has been a struggle for me but looking at my 3 daughters each day and seeing each one putting an effort in their part to help has given me strength as well as the faith I have in God to say to myself I can do this. I will do my very best to take care of my family the same way my husband has always done for us.
The word “independence” reminds me of Julia Fordham’s Toweblock song, something that I felt I could very much relate to when I was in High School when puppy love and crushes felt so true and real.
I have been independent most of my adult life and have to pay the bills and do household chores normally a man would do. Luckily I have been able to handle all of it.
Wow! This is a tuff one! I got married 15 years ago when I was only 18 years old. My husband and I have 3 kids and he is in the military so he is gone alot which forces me to be completely independant at times.
I’ve lived most of my life with others who are stronger than me. But I know I’d survive without them. My DH nowadays spends long periods of time working abroad and I do just fine. Mostly…
WOW….I was always scared of being independent; but when I got divorced I was determined to do it on my own. It was very hard…two jobs plus school plus all the house stuff but I did it and I’m not a very independent person and love it!
i don’t know what it’s like to truly be independent. i went from my parents house to a house i share with my long-time boyfriend. i don’t think i’d like to live by myself and i hope i don’t have to find out.
I have learned to be very independent. With 4 year long deployments with hubby being gone I have had to fix toilets, sprinkler systems, vehicles, replace door locks, electrical repairs and even took my computer apart to replace the hard drive. I love it when he is here to do all the handyman work but it does feel good and empowering to be able to do some things for yourself. Awesome kit! Thanks for the chance to win it.
After a nasty divorce, I took a week-long trip to Paris. I think that was the first time I had done anything alone–much less traveled to a foreign country for the first time. I returned home with a new sense of independence. I immediately started looking for an apartment with a great “single” vibe. I found the perfect location and moved within a couple of months. I’ve never looked back!
Because of my mother’s mental health issues and my father’s medical problems, I was faced with personal independence at a very early age. Today I am slowly finding myself in the creative world, loving all the ideas and then producing my own version. I am looking forward to the day I find my niche creatively. That will be the day my independence is complete.
I am gaining independence from poor eating habits learn since childhood. Using Weight Watchers, I have lost 54 lbs in the past 11 months and am woking to lose another 45. Food has been how I handled anger, fustratiton, boredom, happiness, socialization, and any other emotion at the time. I feel good, wanted to feel better and I don’t hide behind plates of of food and baggy clothes.
I’m like Mette….my oldest got married in May, my middle one graduated last month and got her first job (still at home for the time being), and my baby will be driving next year. I love that they are growing into awesome adults that I am proud of, yet I miss my babies
It was a hard start but everyday it gets better and I am loving the independent me.
I’m learning that I have to learn to lean on myself, before I can lean on others….I’m the only one who can truly make myself happy.
I struggle with being dependent and allowing someone else to do things for me. I am a very independent woman and it doesn’t seem like I can trust anyone else to do what I can do. This is a constant struggle now that I am married.
It’s harder for me to be dependent on someone else. Sometimes you’re forced to and that’s that, but I’d do it myself in a heartbeat if I could. Altho, I experience that pang of sadness when my kids obviously don’t need me for something, I’m always more proud than anything else.
My mom raised me to be independent, and as an oldest child and natural perfectionist, that came pretty easily. That has served me very well, but now I strive to be less independent. A few years ago my husband had a stem cell transplant, and we were forced to lean on our friends for support. Turns out, depending on your group and being part of a community can be a pretty beautiful thing – something I think we Americans have lost in our pursuit of independence.
I love kits! Pick me pick me! I like being independent because I always get to pick where to go on vacations, what to do on weekends, and what to eat for dinner! (Peanut butter sandwich AGAIN!)
-k-
I constantly hope I am well preparing my kids for successful independence. Thanks for a chance to win a lovely kit.
My struggle with independence is with my kids. At two and four they still need me very much. I’ll miss that when they become more independent.
My greatest feeling of independence was when I traveled by myself to a conference several thousand miles away and even negotiated driving in big-city traffic!
living on my own gave me a true sense of independence!
As soon as I was of legal age to start working in high school, I went out and got a job. I walked to work until I could afford to buy my own car. Always paid my way through everything, and it’s such a good feeling!
I’m trying to free myself, make my self independent, from the negativity I’ve set around my own life. I hang onto and relive silly mistakes I made YEARS ago, remain bitter about being laid off almost 2 years ago and so forth. It’s keeping me from being as happy as I could be now- I just haven’t figured out how to let it all go.
As a child of a mother who was mentally ill and a father who was always away, I learned to do everything myself. Sometimes it makes me mad that I didn’t have more involved parents, but then I know that I wouldn’t be as independent as I am today.
When I became a stay-at-home mom 5 years ago, I struggled with my new job. Having defined myself for years by positive feedback first by teachers, and then by employers, it was a tough transition to having my kids be my “boss”- not having any “me” time, not contributing money to our family’s budget anymore, and feeling a general lack of control. I’ve had to learn to be much more flexible. I’ve had to learn that being independent doesn’t mean you have to do things on your own all the time. And once my kids are grown and on their own, they’ll know that their mom helped them get there…and they’ll realize that even though they’re independent, they can always count on their mom.
I have a son heading off to college in the fall. Learning to let go and letting him have his independence. Not an easy feat at times.
After 23 years of a marriage that should never have happened, I found myself independent for the first time. I realized that I COULD make it own my own, and very nicely at that. I was alone, but no longer lonely.
Whenever my parents or my inlaws have the kids overnight, I am free for a short time & live it up (scrapbooking mostly:)
I love living alone and making my own living. The kind of independence that is hard for me is the emotional kind. There is a part of me that still after all these years, is way tied to others expectations of me. I’m afraid that kind of independence is going to be a life long journey….a journey to discover who I want to be, and not what others expect of me.
I found my independence when I left an unhappy marriage. I had to pay my own bills and take care of things around my house. My ex-husband had always paid to bills. I didn’t have a clue about anything but it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
My independence comes from being able to create. I have always be encourage to try new stuff. With that in mind I was able to start my own online business.
after 4 years of intense therapies, my son is gradually getting more independent-finally giving us sense of accomplishment while showing him that everyone’s hard work is paying off
My independence comes from believing in myself and not worrying about what others think of me…just be my best.
The torn layout is the one I really related to. Trying to protect and hold them close from the evils in the world but wanting them to have the life experiences that shape them into real people.
I was married at 17 after 30 years of marriage my husband has left. I went from mom and dads lap to my husbands. Raised 3 kids and now have no one at home. Talk about independance. I’ve learned with my independance to allow others to help me. I was the one who helped everyone all of the time. Little did I know that was the easy part. It is accepting help that has made me a more mature independant person. Giving is the easy part being a humble enough person to accept help has been the hard part, but through my independance I am doing it. YEAH!
Within a few months, I gained independence by becoming an empty nester and an orphan, as I lost the last of my parents a month before my last child graduated from high school and prepared to leave for college three months later. Very rough time!
I love my new found independence. I can create art whenever I want to, buy whatever supplies I want and be free to indulge myself in whatever my heart fancies. I had lived such a controlled life for the last 10 years. I finally feel alive again.
I’ve always been the independant type. My mother struggled with mental illness when I was growing up and I became the “Mom” for a good portion of the time. I think this prepared me to be independant in all I do. Sometimes I’d like the opportunity to be dependant for a while!
My independance is currently the most mundane of all, we are having many family troubles at the moment, and with two under 4, the independance i wish for is to eat my breakfast in peace before the rush starts, to brush my teeth or have my cup of tea without it going cold or someone bursting into the room.. everyday independance, or perhaps lack of dependence, for a brief moment, but mostly i love it all, wouldnt trade it for a million moments of quiet.
I have independence through my Savior….and because of him I can do anything! Thanks for the chance to win:) sbmmhoover at yahoo dot com
I was one of those kids that felt independent early on in life. I had divorced parents and my dad wasn’t really a help to our family so there were lots of times as the oldest I took care of things. College was the first time I had real independence. I put myself through school, twice earning my MBA two years ago and in January bought my first house. Independent is usually one of the first words I use to describe myself!!!
I think I became independent the summer between 11th and 12th grade. I was 17, and my parents had sent me 3000 miles away for summer school. It was total Trial By Fire, but those were easily some of the best 8 weeks of my life.
I left home at 21 and haven’t been back….well, I have but only to visit for the day!