Jennifer
Latest posts by Jennifer (see all)
- MYTHBUSTING:Memory-Keeping Myth #2 - April 14, 2017
- MYTHBUSTING:Memory-Keeping Myth #1 - April 7, 2017
- What Does My Everyday Life Have to do with Family History? - March 31, 2017
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.”
This myth makes me want to go all Grandma on people and say something like, “Oh, 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.
The Olden Days
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.
Solutions For Non-Scrapbookers
Being a non-scrapbooker is a non-issue! Photos and memories don’t need to be scrapbooked. 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 {unscrapbooking, complete with fully-editable templates} to people who aren’t scrapbookers but need to preserve their photos and stories.
Another solution is called {Pocket Scrapbooking}. These are pages with pockets the size of pictures. You literally just slip the pictures in pockets and you’re done. The picture here at the left is a little 6×8 size so it’s only 2-3 pictures per page, but these also come in a larger 12×12 size, which holds 6-8 pictures per page. Be sure you slip a card in one of those pockets that records the memories and details of the photos, though. Otherwise you’ve got a bunch of nameless photos in a book instead of a shoebox.
There are other simple, non-scrapbooking solutions offered at craft stores and even big box stores. All you really need to do is:
- Choose something high-quality. This is important! You don’t want this falling apart!
- Choose something you love because that makes it easier to DO.
- 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 2017-terms: BUSTED!
~Jennifer #familyhistoryfriday
