What
happened? Why the disconnect? What is it about digital photos that
has made us forget to preserve them? I find that there are several myths
surrounding memory-keeping that are preventing the majority of us from
preserving pictures. What do you tell yourself about preserving pictures
that isn’t true?
So What
Do You Mean, “Preserving?”
My
quick answer to this question is usually, “Preserving a photo means getting it
out of digital form into a place where it can be seen and loved, complete with
its story (your memories).” While I stand by that definition, I think
it’s important to look a little deeper.
“Preserving” means
“saving.” So if you’re preserving your pictures, you’re saving
them. Saving them from what?
Now
that’s something to think about! Digital photos come with a whole set of
potential problems: computer crashes, corrupted files, phones dropped in
water, etc. Another problem with digital photos is that they don’t leave
us a place to write thoughts or memories or details about the photo.
(Unfortunately, this will eventually make them worthless. I know that’s a
hard pill to swallow! #truth)
Digital
photos also come with an even bigger problem: overwhelm. Digital
photos are so easy to take that many people just amass them instead of
mindfully taking them. With thousands upon thousands of digital photos,
it’s no wonder that preserving them can be daunting.
If you’re overwhelmed with just the amount of photos you have, help yourself out by reading {When Photo Overload Becomes Photo Overwhelm}.
Why
You Should Care
Photos, memories, and family
stories have been shown to increase self-esteem, lower rates of depression and
anxiety, foster a sense of purpose and belonging, reduce stress, increase
present happiness, and contribute to greater resiliency, healing, and
coping. As
time goes on, we are in more and more need of the things that memory-keeping
provides: connection, grounding, peace, comfort, and happiness. We
need to take time to process life, and there’s not an easier way to do that
than sitting down with your pictures and writing a little something about
them. Reminiscing is powerful for the mind and the heart.
If
you’re still not sure why preserving photos even matters, read {The Secret Ingredient to
Self-Care and Wellness} as
well as {The Importance of Memories toPersonal Growth}. There is some astounding research and information there!
Start
there and then you’ll be ready to tackle the four common memory-keeping
myths. I’ve busted them all for you, in fact! (Click to read each
one.)
- {BustingMyth #1: “I’m not creative.”}
- {BustingMyth #2: “I don’t preserve my photos because I’m not a scrapbooker.”} Think about this one. Photography has been around for 200 years, scrapbooking for about 30. This one is obviously a myth!
- {BustingMyth #3: “I don’t have time.”} We say this one so much that you probably don’t believe me when I say this is a myth! Read on!
- {BustingMyth #4: “I can’t preserve my photos and memories because I don’t know what to write.”}
How
to Actually Do It
We
tend to make things complicated with too many pictures and visions of Ultra
Creative Scrapbooking. It doesn’t need to be that hard! Here are my three favorite suggestions to help you go from
suffocating under your photos to enjoying them and letting them be {the best kind of retail therapy
there is}!
- {Declutter and organize yourphotos} (or use this {video tutorial on organizing digital photos}). Either way, organize then just choose your favorites to preserve so you’re not overwhelmed.
- Set aside time. Here’s a suggestion for {making it a family tradition} instead of an item on Mom’s to-do list, and {here’s a HUGE collection of ideas for making time for yourself and getting together with others for memory-keeping}. (I even have an online group you can join–it’s free, and you can find the information at that link.)
- Do what you love. Whether you like printed pictures or digital ones, there’s something for everyone. This is {the easiest way I know of to preserve pictures that are already printed}. (I mean, ridiculously fast!) {I personally am in love with digital scrap pages}–and that link is a video showing how I do it and why I picked the company/method I have. Digital scrap pages are literally the reason I’m caught up preserving my memories and photos! No joke. And for people who are really overwhelmed with the amount of photos they have, digital yearbooks are my go-to, hands down! This video, {How to Stop Being Overwhelmed by Your Pictures: a yearbook tutorial}, shows you the yearbooks but has an extra bonus of some quick decluttering tips to make your photos manageable. And one last suggestion–{here’s an extra simple way to preserve your photos in a digital book without any fluff (but higher quality} than run-of-the-mill online “photobooks”).
Whatever
you do, #dontletyourbabiesgrowuptobejpegs ! Don’t tell yourself anything
about preserving pictures that isn’t true. Let pictures and memories and life’s stories be the therapeutic
benefit they can be for your heart and soul.
Find many more tips for catching up on your
photos {here}. If you need a memory-keeping buddy, {contact me here}. I can even collaborate with you, working to make parts or
all of your digital books or scrap pages {for you}!
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This
post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on October 12, 2018, by Jennifer
Wise. You can read more #familyhistoryfriday posts about photos, memories, stories, connections, and family by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.
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