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Recording life stories is not just an interesting hobby; it’s also an extremely valuable way to preserve memories that would otherwise fade away into the past as people get older. These 5 fun ways to record life stories can help you preserve your family history and pass on your family’s wisdom to future generations in ways that are both entertaining and informative.
Storytelling is an art
Scrapbooks are a great way to preserve your memories. They are generally easier to compile than oral storytelling so you can include scrapbooks with a different story for each family member or for events of a certain year.
Video diaries are also an excellent idea because they capture all the details that text cannot; this is especially important if the person does not have time to read through the whole thing themselves.
Audio, such as those captured with Storii, is another good idea for those who enjoy listening but struggle with reading.
Journaling is another fantastic way to share memories. The best part about journaling is that it doesn't require much preparation before you start writing down your thoughts and feelings. As long as you have a pen and paper handy, journaling can be done anywhere at any time.
Painting as storytelling has been around since ancient times when early humans drew images on walls to depict their lives. Find what works best for you - there's no one right answer!
Pick your medium
Sometimes people find it difficult to remember all the details about the events in their lives. The best way to do this is to document and detail your memories by writing them down. But there are other options as well. Recording yourself narrating your memories or recording an interview with a family member or friend can help you recall what happened during those special moments. Having these recordings available for when you have Alzheimer's or dementia will provide peace of mind and assist loved ones.
The important thing is to pick something easy for you. It might be easier to get started with a journal where you write your thoughts on paper and then transfer them into digital form later. Or maybe sound bites would work better for you? It doesn't matter which one you choose, just pick one and go with it.
Keep it simple
Storytelling doesn't have to be difficult. Sometimes a simple sentence about an event immediately after it happened is enough to jog a story later. Other times, if you're inspired, you can elaborate. The best way to go about recording your life's history will depend on what fits your lifestyle. Some people may want to start with audio recordings as they do things like go for walks or cook dinner, while others might prefer taking photos of certain events or creating scrapbooks of their adventures. Try a few different methods out and see which one feels right for you!
Let kids narrate their own lives
If you have kids in your life, get started storytelling by listening to them tell theirs. From there, maybe you'll get to have a back-and-forth conversation about something similar in your life. It's not just for reminiscing though - research shows that this is an important part of their development and helps form connections with others.
The next step is to give them the chance to narrate themselves on camera. You can also take pictures or write journal entries as they talk. These are memories that will last a lifetime! And if you don't want to put so much pressure on them, it can be nice to ask what they're thinking or feeling when they are looking at pictures from the past or talking about things they remember happening recently. One more option is to make a scrapbook together where each person contributes one page, like showing drawings of favorite family members or vacation spots.
Keep it creative
It's easy for important things like photos and journal entries about grandparents or your first day of school to get lost with time. There are a lot of different ways to capture your story in case something happens. For example, using the hashtag #100YearsJournal is one way of tweeting one photo every day for 100 years with the goal being that someone will find it interesting if it survives that long.
Of course, Storii is another creative option. It makes it easy by recording phone calls with questions you may have never thought to ask. And because it's digital, it will last more than a lifetime.
