A group of people were discussing the envelopes and boxes of pictures they have stored in cupboards and closets—not to mention the hundreds that are currently sitting on computers and phones. Since each one tells a story it can be a daunting task wondering what to do with all of them.
Do you need two dozen pictures of your cousin's best friend's wedding? How many sunset/sunrise shots from your favorite vacation spot need to be sitting on your desktop? Yes, the new baby in the extended family is a delight but are we required to keep all the pictures that keep getting sent?
At the moment we capture a shot, it means something to us. It's why we grabbed a camera or phone in the first place. There was something happening we wanted to remember, and a picture is a way to make time stand still so you can hold on to it. Years later that picture might become a precious keepsake—or—just another one of the hundreds creating digital or physical clutter.
I was working on a project where I used to work and I approached an older woman who had been part of that community years earlier to see if she had any photographs I could incorporate. I was informed that she didn't have the money at that point in her life to own a camera and be taking any pictures so no photographic commemoration exists.
What a difference today! In 2022 it is estimated that 54,400 photos are taken every second. Every second. Within this hour there will be an additional 196 million in existence which means by the end of today, 4.7 billion pictures will have been shot. Keep extrapolating that and it turns out that this year there will be 1.72 trillion pictures taken. No wonder we’re drowning in images.
A friend of mine wanted did up small, unique albums each year for her growing children. She would choose just 12 pictures, one to represent each month, and starting with the previous year's birthday party would create a keepsake covering a year of highlights.
Another friend says chronological collections are too mundane for her. She separates all her pictures into themes: family, sports, holidays, school days; and files each picture according to subject in see-through plastic containers.
I tried the "year-in-the-life" snapshot book, but it was too hard trying to decide which pictures to use. What if I overlooked the best ones? What if I made the wrong choices?
I bought specialized containers so I could sort pictures into multi-colored photo boxes that fit nicely into a transparent case. I started sorting by theme, then started over and switched to sorting by year. Then by child. I wasn't happy with any of those so the unfinished project now sits in a closet.
Electronic photo frames and printed photo books have worked great for me. I also have shelves of completed albums, boxes of duplicate pictures I was sure I would need, and hundreds of shots on my phone and computer filling up my storage. Overwhelming? Potentially, yes.
I heard the words of a wise woman who finds herself in a similar situation who admitted she is reluctant to start sorting and organizing because she thinks that once she starts she will come to realize there is a better way to do it. Oh, how true.
How many times have we let similar thoughts stop us? We don't do something because we think someone else can do it better. We don't share our ideas because we believe a better idea might be percolating somewhere. We hesitate to start a project because we don't think we can do it as well as someone else.
During the conversation about what to do with their stacks of pictures, individuals starting sharing their solutions. Some strategies were intriguing, others I knew wouldn't work for me. That's the point. We need to stop thinking that somebody else has all the answers. We need to get in gear and just do what works for us. If we stay mired in thinking someone else can do it better, we may not even try.
No you won't refinish a table, paint a wall, write a poem or organize an event the same way someone else will. That's a good thing. If we try to do something the same way as someone else it will be a poor imitation, at best. Far better to do it the way that works best and makes sense for you. That’s where originality finds it genesis and adds far more artistry and interest to everything.
Instead of looking at projects or to-do lists as burdensome and leading to inaction, see it instead as a chance to launch creative ventures and try something new. The proof is in the pudding, or the pictures, as it were. It’s yours…so do it your way. That’s my outlook.
