Blog

Renata Pacheco from Brazil is my last guest blogger this month. I know her now for a while and love her work!

1. What do you do to get into your creative zone?

Until a year ago, my house was always a messy. There was scrapbook stuff on the dinner table, under the table, on top of the sideboard, boxes and boxes everywhere, and I couldn’t find anything when I need.

Then I decided to do a reform, and I create a large closet for my scrap supplies – I drew it by myself, and everything fits perfectly! Now all my stuff is super organized, separated, and I know exactly where everything is, even if I’m not in front of the closet.

Since this reform, I just sit at the closet and start producing! I’m completely in love with this corner of my house! I spent most of my free time there!

2. Do you ever create hidden meanings or messages in your work?

In scrapbooking layouts, I prefer to tell the story openly. If something is more intimate, I hid the journaling. On this page, for example, I told about the period when I discovered and treated a thyroid cancer, and how the fact I’m super optimistic helped in this treatment (so I illustrated with the song Smile).

In art journal pages, then I use much more subliminal messages. It may be an element of a collage, a sentence covered with ink, a doodle or even a phrase. I made this page (later put in a frame) for a 7 years-old girl who is going through a very serious cancer treatment. In the background, I used rub-ons with the words Family, Live, Laugh and Charm – concepts that she needs to remember to feel strong and fight against the disease.

I always use an image of a buttefly (or more than one), whether in scrapbooking or art journal, symbolizing freedom, change, growth and creativity, concepts that are very important to me.

3. If your creative work were edible, what would it taste like?

That is a difficult question! Well, I guess that would be like candy, because I always try to put as much love and affection in every page I create! Even when the subject is tough, I always try to see the learning and treat the subject with tenderness.

4. What is your favorite creation? Please explain why you selected this one.

Another very difficult task! I love learning new things, I’m addicted to workshops, and each new technique I learn I want to test immediately. So my work is very eclectic, has a bit of everything. I love mixed media, but also love a romantic and super shabby layout.

5. What is your biggest creative success so far and why?

I’ve never faced scrapbooking as work; for me it has always been fun and therapy. I have another full time job (I’m a journalist and run a corporate communications agency) and use my free time to create. Therefore, I’ve never bothered to publish my work in any magazines (I never sent any page), and only recently started to post on sites like Two Peas and Scrapbook.com in order to see the comments from other scrappers on my work. But I attended the Design Team of Scrapbooking Brazil (site here in my country) and I’m currently design for a scrapbook store in Rio de Janeiro. I also have a blog with a friend called ScrapSins.

Thank you Renata.

I hope you all enjoyed this guest blogger month :)

Nat