Love this...

I got this in my email today from Lain Ehmann over at Layout a Day and I really REALLY like the sentiment. Especially since I am definitely one of those scrappers that holds themselves to a very high standard. It's hard not to compare yourself with others, especially when there is so much talent out there! I always have to remind myself what Lain is saying here- that if it looks good to me then that is good enough! Because your opinion is the ONLY one that matters! Anyway, I'm re-posting it because I really liked what she had to say, and I hope you do too!

Dearest darling scrapster-
I love scrapbooking magazines. I've subscribed to a ton (and worked at my fair share!). Bt as I leafed through a recent issue, the thought occurred to me that I really don't want to work that hard at scrapbooking.
Don't get me wrong -- I love scrapbooking. But I don't want to have to read a magazine -- any magazine -- to tell me how to do it. Yes, I love the inspiration and the ideas, but the thought struck me that these are MY memories I'm documenting, and MY scrapbooks I'm putting them in. And I'm the best judge of what fits and what doesn't. While we can all use a jolt of creative juice every now and then, when it comes right down to it, we're the bosses of our own scrapbooking. If we like something, we should do it. If we don't, take a pass. It's as simple as that.
I think that magazines (not just scrapbooking ones) walk a fine line between helping people become better at something, and setting up the idea that there is one "right" way to do things. And just as Cosmo and Vogue can make you feel too fat, too short, too old, and too wrinkled, scrapbooking mags can make you feel that your pages are too crooked, your writing is too messy, your products are too old, and your pictures are too dark.

NOT SO. Yes, there may be room for improvement (I see things I'd like to improve on all the time!), but your pages are precious just as they are. The goal is not to create perfect pages, but to document your perfect memories -- and your memories are perfect JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE YOURS.

If reading scrapbooking mags and looking through galleries and perusing blogs makes you feel like NOT scrapbooking because you are not "good enough," STOP RIGHT NOW. You should feel encouraged, validated, and welcomed, not belittled, beleagured, and small.

Scrap the way you want, and the way you are. You have my permission (not that you need it!).