The Workshop I Planned in My Head Long Before I Booked a Room

Once I get an idea, it doesn’t arrive quietly.

When we were planning our wedding, my then-husband-to-be eventually introduced a rule. I was only allowed to talk about weddings on Thursdays. Not because he didn’t care, but because I can obsess. Fully. Thoroughly. Relentlessly.

This workshop followed the same pattern.

When Planning Is Not Optional

Being diagnosed with OCD means my brain automatically plans for every possible scenario. It’s not something I switch on, it’s something I manage.

I sometimes joke that this would have made me an excellent clan leader in prehistoric times. Nothing would have been overlooked. But in modern life, especially when planning something new or scary, it can take up a huge amount of mental space.

Every detail matters. Every outcome is considered. And until something exists outside my head, it can feel enormous.

The Push I Needed

This particular idea might have stayed theoretical if it weren’t for two conversations.

A slightly drunk friend told me, very plainly, that I should just do it. Not someday. Not later. Just do it.

Another friend found the location. Robin’s Hobby Café, tucked inside Titanic Belfast. Suddenly the idea had a place to land.

Once there was a date and a room, it stopped being imaginary.

Knowing the Feeling, Not the Process

I knew exactly what I wanted people to feel when they came.

I wanted worksheets with prompts. Simple formulas for building a scrapbook spread without staring at a blank page. Glue, scissors, photos, paper.

I wanted a way to swap samples of washi tape, so everyone would leave with something new. A small, shared moment of generosity.

The goal wasn’t perfection. It was zest. For paper. For memory-making. For therapeutic crafting. And for having a way to keep going once you got home.

I knew the outcome. I just didn’t yet know the steps.

Chunking the Mammoth

At first, the whole thing looked mammoth. Not because it was impossible, but because I hadn’t started.

Once I broke it into pieces, it became manageable. Worksheets. Prompts. Supplies. Timings. One decision at a time.

That’s always how it works. The fear shrinks when you give it structure.

Why I’m Doing This at All

This session isn’t about being good at scrapbooking or journaling. It’s about making something physical with your hands, with guidance, and without pressure.

It’s about giving your thoughts somewhere to land, and leaving with enough momentum to keep going.

If this sounds like something you’ve been quietly craving, you can find the details here:

Journal & Scrapbooking Session · 25th January · 6–8pm

Closing Thoughts

I still obsess. I still over-plan. But I’ve learned that if I give that energy a direction, it can build something meaningful instead of just circling in my head.

This workshop is one of those things.

Stay tuned for the results