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7.22.05
Happy Friday to you!
I think I'll get my scrap space photos and info up this weekend, but wanted to tell you about something interesting that landed in my inbox this morning. Someone I respect for her spiritual maturity, her amazing art, and her really good hair :) sent me something she wrote out last night: a "Code of Conduct" for her own personal participation on Two Peas. It is actually the credo she has carried around in her head and followed for a couple years, then put on paper last night to clarify and solidify her own thinking, to share with me. I am so grateful for this. I felt like shouting "yes!" as I read it.
In a nutshell, it suggests approaching participation on Two Peas as a ministry rather than a recreational activity: a seemingly slight shift in thinking that seems to have made all the difference in both her overall motivation for sharing her art, and her level and type of participation on Two Peas.
I thought I'd copy part of it here, because it's something I am going to think about for awhile. It made me rethink returning to Two Peas at some point down the road.
Okay, here 'tis:
"I made a decision a couple years ago to begin posting my work at Two Peas after lurking for awhile. I pray about each layout I post, which might seem a bit intense, but I feel like each is an opportunity for Christian witness in some way. I ask myself if the content is edifying: will this encourage another believer? Will it in some way, through its words or even photos, somehow draw someone closer to Jesus? Does it represent a desire for excellence in my art that is grounded in a desire to glorify the ultimate artist Himself?
Next, I strive to be generous with my posting information. I list my supplies, techniques, sources, and inspiration whenever possible, and embrace the idea that this sharing strengthens our overall excellence in art as a community, and is a small gift I can give someone else. I avoid the "I might publish this layout so I need to be super original yet secretive about how I came up with it" mentality.
Regarding praise: I only check my praise once a month. This was really hard to do at first, but now I just look forward to it but don't get obsessed with it. I do a search on the Pea Praise message board for my username for the past month, and it pulls up the praise. It is a great source of encouragement, without getting weird or becoming a demigod in my life.
I strive to be generous in leaving praise, and have decided to focus my limited online time on leaving praise for other scrapbookers. I stay off the other boards because while there are many good things posted, I would have to say that the overall atmosphere is not something I want to immerse myself in. It is too easy for me to waste time, fill my mind up with junk, or get embroiled in controversies that I shouldn't be involved in. It sounds like you've done a lot of thinking about this yourself recently.
Finally, this might seem like a strange thing to add to my "code of conduct," but it's also related to Kristina and Jeff: I shop at Two Peas whenever possible. This is not an "ethical issue" I'd push on anyone else, but I feel that if I'm using bandwidth that they provide free of charge to maintain my own gallery, I need to support their business. This is a small thing, maybe, but it's important to me."
So, that's the end of her "code of conduct." She also included a really funny list of all the ways she feels like she's really messed up at being a Godly Pea, which busted me up. It is always refreshing to fellowship with someone both inspiring and down-to-earth.
So I'm going to think about it for awhile. (A long while.)
In the meantime, I'm deciding on a way to post my layouts here in a gallery without falling into the same pitfalls. I want them to be available for you if you had them in your Book of Scraps at Two Peas and miss having access to them. I'd also like a place to post my new layouts. There are also some "safety issues" to think about, as my website is more easily accessible to the general public than the Two Peas galleries are, because it is searchable. I am leaning towards simply password protecting a gallery part of the site, and having you email me if you want the password. What would you think about that?
I hope you all have great weekends. What do you have planned?
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