Memory-Keeping Mythbusting: myth #2

The memory-keeping myth we're going to bust this week is similar to the one we busted last week:  {"I'm not creative, so I'm not into memory-keeping."}  Although they're related, myth #2 focuses specifically on the s-word, "SCRAPBOOKING".  Say that word, and you definitely get a reaction.  Love it or hate it.  

And it has created what I feel is probably the biggest myth in memory-keeping.

Myth #2

I really wish I didn't hear this myth as often as I do:  "I don't preserve my photos because I'm not a scrapbooker."

Pish posh.  I truly hate hearing this because it's not only untrue, it's nonsense.

Busting this myth doesn't take much.  I have only three things to say about this one.

FACT.  Scrapbooking is about 25-30 years old.

FACT.  Photography is about 200 years old.

FACT.  People obviously found something to do with their photos before scrapbooking.

Now I will be the first to admit that I like making things pretty and I like creativity and creating.  I admit that my memory-keeping style could be referred to as "scrapbooking" (though I do it digitally so it goes faster and I can easily do multiple copies for multiple kiddos), but I also know that scrapbooking is an optional way to preserve photos and memories.

To be honest with you, I feel like there is something sacred about thumbing through old photo albums.  My grandma recorded everything.  I know who everyone is, where the photo was taken, the date, and sometimes some additional random facts.  There isn't anything fancy or cute or pretty about those albums--in fact, everything is monochrome--but when I look at them, my heart swells because those are my people.  I get to see them just living their lives 50 or 100 years ago, and I'm right there with them.

Being a non-scrapbooker is a non-issue!  Photos and memories don't need to be scrapbooked in the modern sense of the word.  They just need to be preserved in a high-quality way that you can hold in your hands and heart.  

I often recommend what I call {digital storybooking} to people who aren't scrapbookers but need to preserve their photos and stories.  It has the look of something that took a lot of time to design, only... without taking any time to design.

Whatever your chosen method, all you really need to do is:

1. Choose something high-quality.  This is important!  You don't want this falling apart!
2. Choose something you love because that makes it easier to DO.
3. Be sure you don't just preserve photos; preserve memories, stories, and details, too.  That's half the value of a photo!

Whatever you choose, just get rid of the idea that you can't preserve your memories and the photos that belong to them if you're not a scrapbooker.  Pish posh.

Or, in today's terms:  BUSTED!

{Get started with digital storybooking --OR creative digital scrapbooking if that's your preference-- by following the steps here.}

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This post was first published on April 14, 2017, at www.livegrowgive.org by Jennifer Wise.

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