Memory Books

Why you should start building up your collection of memories.

In a world where life moves at a breakneck pace, it is easy to let your cherished memories slip through the sands of time. A memory book is an excellent gift for someone you love or cherish.

Passing on the legacy

Beautifully printed coffee-table books combine your stories to pass on to the next generations of family and friends. Amal’s story highlights the wisdom of creating such a book.

Amal, the CEO of an insurance franchise, recently contacted me to design a memory book.

At 75, Amal has no intentions of slowing down, he told me. But he wants to capture his knowledge and memories – hand-written notes, photos, sounds, videos, milestones, and other meaningful objects – and convert them into a hard-bound coffee table book along with a digital version.

Amal wanted to leave a legacy for his children and grandchildren, and for mentoring others who will inherit his business.

How to publish your memory book

There are multiple ways to design and publish a memory book. Online platforms such as PhotoBookCanada or Mixam does a great job of publishing books. The platforms have ready-made templates you can use to jump-start your design. All you have to do is add the photographs.

These platforms, however, offer free templates where you will be able to add only photographs.

If you want to have a coffee-table book that is more engaging, interactive, and customized to suit your stories (text, audio, video, etc.), you may require services of a good designer.

If you are planning to design it yourself, software such as InDesign from Adobe is a great tool to design the book. Adobe also has other software in its Creative Cloud package to edit photos, videos, audio, etc.

So how do you start the process?

Make a commitment and start with the voices in your head. Get it down on paper. When you are in the gym or on nature walks, record your sounds on the phone along with the background.

Day one: Commit a day this week to begin the process. Start collecting photos (printed and digital) and sort it according to a preferred timeline.

Day two: Draw up a timeline of important events in your life. Pick the stories by which you want others to remember you. Using sections that define the transition helps to advance readers’ interest.

Day three: Pick out meaningful stories. Write down an excerpt, a hook, to trigger your memories later. Check your journals and letters for inspiration.

Day four: Select six or seven stories; start expanding on those stories.

Writing down the stories by hand …

a) slows down your thinking,
b) triggers connected events, places, and people, and
c) is a great therapeutic process to start and end your day

Day five: Find photos and other related items that relate to those stories.

Day six: Lay out your ideas and timelines on paper. If you prefer the digital space a mind-mapping software such as Xmind is useful.

Day seven (onwards): Publish it yourself, or find someone who will help you.

Do not get stuck on Day One with the collection of photos. Keep going through the process. As you begin to write your will find more and more items to add to the draft.

Connect with me if you need help. I am a storyteller. I dig out stories, write, design, and publish those stories to leave a lasting impression.