A New Beginning

For five years I was a Creative Memories consultant. Today, I am not.


I love scrapbooking. I love the marriage of photos with stories. I loved meeting new people and encouraging them to preserve their life stories. There is truly nothing more special than the look on a child’s face when they realize there is a whole layout dedicated to them - to them alone - pure joy. I really enjoy the social aspect of getting together with a group of ladies (it is primarily ladies who scrapbook), exchange ideas, have a few drinks, share stories, laugh and get pages done.

I didn’t like meeting minimums – especially during the slow summer season. I didn’t like that the company I represented had such an adversarial relationship with the leading scrapbook publications. CM did not support my business but demanded complete loyalty and virtual servitude in response and expected me to pay for the privilege. I did not like that recruitment was more important than the mission. I did not like the mean-spirited cattiness of fellow “team” members who would sell their soul for a client and claimed ownership of people they barely knew. I did not like being told what I could and could not put in albums that were mine and the rules we were encouraged to impose on our clients. I could not keep up with the product direction whiplash – new items, changed items, no new product, hundreds of dollars of new product, some training, no training, digital, not digital. The product mix got so big so fast with no support system. Then the product mix was deemed the wrong mix and it started all over again. No wonder I couldn't keep clients! You need a PhD just to keep up with it all! This is supposed to be a simple and relaxing hobby. Creative Memories was anything but simple or relaxing.

On the more pleasant flip side, I have made and maintained a group of friends with whom I enjoy scrapping. Though more often than not we are laughing and drinking rather than doing too much album making, so my need for inventory and their use of product was minimal. Great ladies, pleasant evenings, and my introduction of fun “contraband” was not necessarily good for business, but definitely good for my soul.

I signed on March 1, 2003 ... I signed of February 29, 2008. A complete 5 years. Maybe now I'll have a chance to enjoy my hobby rather than worrying about the business of my hobby.