Today's topic is Be creative--Better late than never (of course as this pertains to Chronicling Life Stories). I come to this topic after having just completed a project for someone whose mother had six siblings. My client's mother and all of the siblings were deceased except for one. However, my client felt strongly about preserving the stories of her mother's family life. Her idea was to get the children of all the siblings to share the stories they knew of their parents' lives, of course together with the sibling who was still alive. So this is exactly what we did--taking advantage of the time when family members from all over the country were gathering for a family event. If I do say so myself, the DVD we produced from this conversation was quite special. However, as in so many personal history projects in which I've been involved, I think the process itself became very meaningful for everyone who participated. Each person in the group took the time to dig up old pictures, documents, letters and writings from their parent--and although some of the stories told were known to all, many of the stories about grandparents, and about each others' parents, were heard for the first time that day. So, despite my warnings on my website about not missing opportunities to chronicle life stories, if you do, be creative. There may be other options for capturing, preserving, and passing on your family history. I once went to a workshop of creativity in which the speaker, Artie Isaac, made the observation that creative people are those who say yes and not no to the ideas they have. In other words, creative people run with their ideas. They don't automatically nix ideas that seem to difficult or far-fetched. So, if you have a creative idea for a family history project--run with it a little. Don't be intimidated by the practicalities. |
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CategoriesFamily history, creativity, creative options family histories, cousins sharing family storiesFamily stories Fun things to do on Thanksgiving hanukkah family traditions, hanukkah traditions, memories of hanukkah, hanukkah activities, Holocaust recipes, Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival by June Feiss Hirsch meaningful gifts, gifts that matter, do it yourself personal histories, life stories, oral history Passover memories, Easter memories, modern day exodus from Egypt personal history, oral history Personal history, oral history, holocaust testimonies, Columbus Jewish Federation, community service Pictures telling stories preserving memories for those with cognitive impairment, alzheimers reminiscence, life review, personal narratives in medicine,satisfaction in storytelling social service, hospice volunteers, Dan Curtis, Association of Personal Historians Thanksgiving activities Thanksgiving recipes, Heirloom Cookbooks, family history, recipes as family history Thanksgiving stories |
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