Pass down a sorted and meaningful collection of photos and family stories
Where are your photos and memorabilia stored? Are they being kept from deteriorating? Will your grandchildren be able to enjoy these photos and their stories: your family stories? Or will these photos be passed down in boxes, unnamed and unsorted and on outdated media?
A great side effect of sorting and culling your photos (and memories) is that you will feel less overwhelmed or guilty. You will have peace of mind and may even feel inspired to write some family stories, which can go along with your photo collection. What a beautiful way to reminisce about, which surely is rich in stories, traditions and family connections.
This way family stories and meaningful traditions can be passed on and enjoyed by your children and future generations. It helps them to understand who they are and where they come from. It’s an innate desire to connect with our past and understand who we are. And who our parents and grandparents were.
Do you believe, in this fast-paced and busy world we live in, your children will value boxes full of unsorted photos? How often do I hear stories about photos being passed down which have no name or details on them. Those photos, along with their stories, will be lost, as they become meaningless.
So what keeps you from sorting your boxes of photos and making them future proof?
By following these 5 steps you will be able to tackle your untamed photo mess and turn it into a meaningful collection of photos and family stories.
1. Set a goal. By knowing who or why you are doing this for, helps you stay focused and motivated on that journey.
2. Hunt and gather. Find a space in your home where you can spread out your photos. Now, find your photos and get them all together in your dedicated space. Here is a list that may help you gather your photos.
3. Assess the mess. Make a plan and divide your next actions into achievable steps. Here is a list to help you craft a plan and stay focused.
4. Organize your printed photos. Sort them into categories. Are the photos album-worthy or are they even telling a story? Are they worth keeping? Sort and cull. That can be so liberating and you will feel peace of mind growing as you go and sort and part from what does not serve you or your purpose anymore.
5. Enjoy and Share. Now, pat yourself on your back. How can you share your photos? By making photo books, or a slideshow or even start writing down some family stories.
You may even decide to start digitizing (scan) your sorted collection in order to consolidate these photos with your digital photos in a designated digital family archive.
If you need help or have any questions, get in touch: jeannine@photosandstories.nz