Five Thoughts On Memory Keeping

Five thoughts on my mind about memory keeping:⁠ ⁠ 

o1. There is no right or wrong way to tell stories. Never has been + never will be. Make a list. Write in paragraphs. Write on sticky notes. Record voice memos to yourself. Share photos + words on IG. Use a notebook. Use a binder album. ⁠ ⁠ 

o2. The way you are telling stories right now might not be the same way you are approaching it next month or next year or in the next hour and, honestly, that's really awesome. We don't have to tell stories the way we've always done it. We can try new things and explore different approaches: go shorter or longer with your words, get up close or get father away with your photography, paint your own pattern papers or order them online, try new page sizes/shapes or simply stick a journal card into a pocket. Remember that you don't have to tell every single story for your stories to matter.⁠ ⁠ 

o3. Never underestimate the value of play in bringing you back to the things you love most. I've had the best time over the last few weeks being really playful with my storytelling approaches: more color, more paint, more shapes, more fun (all because I gave myself three starting places for my stories: cut paper, no photos, and repetition). ⁠

o4. Start with story. I've been talking about this concept for a number of years and I can't recommend it highly enough. Write the story first and then make your project fit your story vs. making your story fit your project. Of course some of your stories will be shorter + some will be longer + some will require more real estate and others less. Let the story dictate the size of your project. ⁠ ⁠ 

o5. Stories matter. Stories matter. Stories matter. Documenting our stories help us make sense of our lives in the middle of living and help us to be more empathetic humans. ⁠

Projects shown in the image above were created as part of the Hello Story 3 workshop.