our brains crave storytelling

I recently read an article called "Why Our Brains Crave Storytelling In Marketing."  It begins by talking about cereal, but because the article is about STORY you can probably imagine how much of it leaped off the page at me.  I mean, my job is about storytelling!  My job is to encourage and teach people to publish their photos WITH THEIR STORIES, and give people an avenue to do it.  We take every photo for a reason.  That reason is the story behind the photo, the memory.  When we get our photos out of digital form so that we can actually interact with them, something truly magical happens.  Connections are made.  Memories become stronger.  {Recalling happy moments actually improves happiness in the present.}

The author of this storytelling article, Rachel Gillette, points out that numerous studies over the years have shown that our brains react better to storytelling, to connections, than plain old facts.  Our brains want a connection.  She wrote, "When reading straight data, only the language parts of our brains work to decode the meaning. But when we read a story, not only do the language parts of our brains light up, but any other part of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing what we’re reading about becomes activated as well."

Talk about PRESERVING MEMORIES!!  I find this fascinating, but I mostly find myself wanting to BEG everyone who owns a camera to please, please get those photos out of digital form.  Store them that way, sure, but publish them to love them and to share them and let other people love them.  And when you do publish them, TELL THEIR STORIES.  Please, please, tell their stories.  If you don't, the events just won't be remembered in the same way, and maybe not at all. 

This graphic from Ms. Gillette's article is geared toward marketing, but as you look it over, see how much of it translates to photos and their memories, to scrapbooking, to journaling.  It's very interesting!

Publish your photos with their stories.  We call them "memories."

Your storytelling doesn't have to be perfect.  You don't need to be an author or a poet.  You just need to record memories.  

What made this moment funny or happy or sad or interesting?  What happened right before you took the photo?  What happened right after?  Who is in the photo?  Where are you?  What's the date?  Why will you love this picture 10 years from now?  

Think about who will be loving it 50 years from now.  Write to them.  It will make a bigger difference than you can imagine.

Get started right here.