Choosing your family’s photos, videos, and other memories to safeguard may seem like a chore but you can make it even more satisfying by taking on the title of “curator.”
Have you ever gone to an exhibit at a museum or art gallery?
Maybe it was an individual artist or a display of ancient relics from a place like Egypt.
Think Like a Museum Curator
The Getty Villa borders the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades and Malibu and currently (October 2024) has an exhibit titled Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt.
Imagine the challenge that curators have when putting together an exhibit like this, choosing from literally thousands of ancient artifacts found in a country and culture like Egypt.
Guess how old the Egyptian civilization is with an overwhelming amount of artifacts.
Yet, curators make selections that help visitors feel like they’re seeing a complete history.
Select from Your Family’s History
Here’s a lesson for decluttering.
Your family’s photos, videos, home movies, slide shows and many other types of documents build up over time, don’t they?
Maybe you’ve lived in the same house for 20 to 30 years and keeping clutter to a minimum has been tough.
As a photo coach, I provide key services that you can find by clicking here, including digitizing older memories.
The process of decluttering and digitizing is like curating a museum or art gallery exhibit and setting it up for future visitors.
You have to choose what to keep and what you want to exclude or, put more clearly, toss.
That’s right.
You don’t have to save everything and you don’t want to. Scroll to the end of this post and you can link to a blog post I wrote on telling a life story with just a handful of photos.
You want visitors in the coming months and coming decades to have a feel for someone’s life or the places you’ve lived and have vacationed in.
In order to truly declutter and digitize you’re going to need to get rid of some items.
Are you the type who has a hard time of letting go? Many of us do.
But I can show you how to choose the keepers and eliminate the clutter with confidence.
You’re the Curator of Your Family Museum
Your job is preserving photos, videos, and many other memories for future generations. Yep, family members in 50 years, 80 years, and further into the future will be the visitors. They’ll want to access the files you’ve collected so they can see how you lived your life and how others way before you lived theirs.
Remember, you’re doing this for the grandchildren of your grandchildren and kids who will arrive after them.
The tool that I use is FOREVER®, the most complete memory-keeping system available and the safest permanent storage solution I’ve found, guaranteed.
Why FOREVER®?
- FOREVER® is a proven solution and the company’s business model is designed to offer storage for a lifetime, plus 100 years guaranteed and with the goal of going beyond that timeframe.
- As new technologies emerge and are developed, your files are migrated to the newest formats thanks to the FOREVER® Guarantee Fund. There’s no extra cost to you or future generations.
- You own your account which puts you in control because you can never be locked out or have the Terms of Service changed on you. You decide who has access to view and becomes your Account Manager after you’re gone.
- Instead of renting space with a monthly fee, you pay for the storage you need with either a one-time investment or 24 monthly installments.
Here’s what you can do:
- Digitize older photos, VHS tapes, and more.
- Your memories are kept in one place. Your originals will be returned to you.
- Store files permanently in digital albums you create, including your digital photos and videos taken uploading through your browser or FORVER® app.
- Use your files to seamlessly create photo books and other printed gifts.
- Research your family’s history with assistance from FOREVER®’s professional genealogists.
- Write brief descriptions or longer narratives to describe your files.
There are other benefits that I’d enjoy sharing with you.
The Outcome
Your files are stored safely and they’re easy for you to sort and find on any device that can access the internet. You can also easily share with family and friends throughout the world via internet.
This way, you know what memories you have of specific family members, holidays, vacations and other important keepsakes. FOREVER® makes it easy to take inventory of what you have. Find it easily with a few clicks.
Get the Most from Your Family’s Memories
Scroll to the end of this post to find posts on decluttering so you can digitize and enjoy for generations to come.
Contact me for my journaling method and tips on how to clear your clutter and easily choose what memories to keep and which ones to discard.
My passion is helping you safeguard your family’s memories since no one else has the history that you have. It’s unique to you.
Here’s a related post to learn from:
Tell Your Family’s Story Using a Small Number of Photos and Videos that You Store Permanently
Let’s Tell Your Life Story and Preserve Your Family Photos and Other Important Memories