Photo Journaling to Preserve Memories
Gather together some of your favorite photos of your loved one, or even those odd photos that bring to mind some funny memories, and write down the stories that these photographs tell. The memories don’t even have to be specifically about the picture itself; any stories that the photos remind you of will be just as loved.
While you may not be able to get a thousand words out of all of your pictures, your photographs definitely tell a story. Or even many stories. Looking through photographs stimulate our memories in a way that few other things can. We often remember not only what was happening at the time the photograph was taken, but we may remember little things that have nothing to do with the photographs. All of these memories are valuable as we recall the stories of our relationships with those now gone.
Putting together an album of pictures and memories of our loved one will help others remember and get to know her better.
- Go through your photographs and pick out ones that make you smile or remind you of things you did with your loved one.
- This can be done with friends and family as well – someone else’s memories may trigger your own.
- Make notes about the stories you remember as you are selecting the photographs. You may not remember later why you picked a certain one out.
- Tangent memories – those that are only remotely related to the photo you’re looking at – add a great deal to the stories behind the photos.
- Scan the photos in and then use a memory book software program to be able to put the photos and words together so that you can print multiple copies for those close to your loved one.
Here are a couple articles that give ideas on how to write about your photographs. Even though they are about helping you write your own memories, and you are writing your memories about another person, both will give you good ideas on how to get started:
Related Books:
Your Words, Your Story: Add Meaningful Journaling To Your Layouts
While this is a book mostly for scrapbookers, it can help you learn how to write from the heart, giving you:
* Examples of different writing styles, from detailed narratives to witty observations to heartfelt letters and more.
* “Problem Solved” features that provide a way around obstacles that keep you from journaling.
* Inspiration for writing in creative styles like fairytale, science fiction and haiku.
* Prompts and ideas to help you get your story down on a page.
