We're missing the entire point!
Have you put away your winter clothes? Why? Because you don't intend to use them for six months, right? That's what storage IS. It's putting something elsewhere that you don't intend to use or see or even look at right now.
That's great for winter clothes, but what about pictures?
Pictures aren't meant to be temporary. In fact, we take pictures to hold onto and remember moments that are fleeting. So pictures aren't meant to be stored. The purpose of a picture is to SEE IT.
So let's get back to basics and not listen to the digital photo storage frenzy going on around us. Now I'm not saying digital pictures shouldn't be backed up, because they should, but that should never be our final goal. We shouldn't be satisfied that our precious photos are somewhere where we rarely if ever see them, somewhere where we can't actually write down a couple of sentences about what makes that photo worth taking and worth remembering.
Connecting with your photos and memories has tremendous power including self-esteem and increased happiness. Read more benefits, including self-care and wellness, {at this list}.
These four blog posts will help you organize, print, and SEE your pictures! Read these helps and start seeing your pictures again!
- {Decluttering and Organizing Photos}
- {How to Get Your Pictures Off Your Phone--and Why!}
- {How to Organize Both Printed and Digital Photos} HINT: Organizing and preserving your photos are not the same thing!
- {How to Print Your Pictures}
Now when I talk about printing photos, there are lots of options, so here are two recommendations.
I love this one because the product is beautiful and high-quality, but the METHOD is what really helps people get a handle on their too many pictures. This video explains the method and the product, too. It's called "How to Stop Being Overwhelmed by Your Pictures: a Yearbook tutorial."
2021 UPDATE: Photo and Story Treasures has expanded! We recommend two companies for heirloom-quality books and pages which gives you more options to choose from. Do you like creative, flexible digital scrapbooking, or do you prefer quick and beautiful time-saving templates? See several options here and choose what fits you best.
I love this one because the product is beautiful and high-quality, but the METHOD is what really helps people get a handle on their too many pictures. This video explains the method and the product, too. It's called "How to Stop Being Overwhelmed by Your Pictures: a Yearbook tutorial."
2021 UPDATE: Photo and Story Treasures has expanded! We recommend two companies for heirloom-quality books and pages which gives you more options to choose from. Do you like creative, flexible digital scrapbooking, or do you prefer quick and beautiful time-saving templates? See several options here and choose what fits you best.
Plus, if you're behind on preserving your photos, I have several suggestions (and a PLAN!) at the "how to catch up on your photos" tab along the top of this blog below the header. Or find it {right here}.
When you're done reading whichever of those posts interests you most, or watching whichever video catches your fancy, come back and comment below to tell me which suggestions were the most helpful. Which ones will get you SEEING and loving your memories in pictures, not just storing them?
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