Family Photo Keeper Workshops are a great way to make consistent progress on your photo management goals. They are also beneficial in other ways. Read on to learn more.

When you think about your photo and memory collection, do you feel a sense of peace? Or do you feel dread? Dread that you’ll never get it organized and preserved, dread that it’s such a big job, dread that your children may not want it after all?

The problem is that you think you’ll get to it someday. But like the old song from CCR says, someday never comes.

Imagine how it would feel to have it done, safe, and in a condition where you knew your kids wouldn’t be throwing it out when you’re gone. Wouldn’t that be satisfying?

Well you can get there, and I can help. My virtual Family Photo Keeper Workshops are a great way to meet this goal, and they offer other benefits as well. Read on to learn about all the benefits of attending.

1. You Can Learn as You Go

Sometimes a reason for putting things off is that you don’t have all the answers in advance. A big benefit of attending workshops is that you can ask questions in the moment, as they come up, while you work. Not only will you have access to me, a professional photo manager, other attendees often have experiences that they are willing to share.

For example, in a recent workshop an attendee had a question about photos on her iPhone. I haven’t had an iPhone in for six years, so I asked another participant with one to answer her question.

Working in a group you may learn things you didn’t expect to learn. Not everyone is working on the same things: some are organizing digital photos, others, printed photos. Some are doing traditional scrapbooking, others, digital scrapbooking. Some are scanning and others are sorting and culling. Each person brings a unique perspective and level of experience to the workshops that they are more than willing to share in a helpful way.

You’ll be able to expand your knowledge, find solutions, build confidence and more. You’ll also be able to ask for feedback from other participants. No one will let you fail and everyone wants your success. So you can’t lose!

“It was handy because as I was working I could ‘think out loud’ and ask for help which kept me going forward on my task instead of feeling frustrated and giving up for lack of an answer or help.  People were eager to help, that’s for sure! All my concerns and questions were met and answered.  I’m off and running with my projects and if I have another question I’m either writing it down, emailing Fancy, or will ask at the next monthly meeting I attend.” ~Judy

2. Working Together Increases Motivation

As you make progress on your collection, you will be inspired to make more. In fact, research supports this. Just the sense that you’re working together with others can dramatically increase your motivation to complete difficult tasks—even when you’re actually working alone. Stanford psychological scientists concluded that even subtle suggestions of being part of a team dramatically increased people’s motivation and enjoyment in relation to difficult tasks, leading to greater perseverance and engagement and even higher levels of performance.

The energy in the Zoom Room will fire you up, and the fun factor is contagiouus. We make jokes, we encourage each other, we share our work, and sometimes we even indulge in adult beverages while working (not required, of course). But the important thing is – it will keep you going.

“It was nice to see I wasn’t the only one who is behind.” ~Lisa

“It keeps me working consistently on my projects.” ~Ellen

3. Work Together in Community

Humans have evolved to experience the tangible benefits of human connection, which include an increased feeling of belonging, purpose, happiness, self-worth and confidence. The pandemic put a damper on much community and connection. And even though things are starting to open up, not everyone is yet willing to fully embrace going back to the way things were before.

At the virtual Family Photo Keeper Workshops, the shared values of family, family photos and memories make it easy to connect with other participants on a deep level, no matter where you live or what else you do. We share heartfelt (as well as funny) stories with each other. Looking through our photos takes us back to our memories, and it’s nice to be able to share with others who understand those feelings.

You may even make new friends!

“The biggest benefits for me are being accountable and enjoying the company of friends as we work together. I really look forward to these monthly Zoom events!” ~ Ellen

“The biggest benefit is dedicating time to the project and knowing other people are also dedicating time to their stuff as well.” ~ Lisa

4. Family Photo Keeper Workshops are Self Care

I don’t know about you, but I’m always putting my self care last on the list. Which means it almost never happens. But my decision to start offering the virtual Family Photo Keeper Workshops came out of my need to dedicate time to make progress on my own photo management goals. I am not generally motivated by rewards, however, I am motivated by achievement. So the progress I make each month on my goals is self care for me. If you are motivated by rewards, then, by all means, please set up a reward system for yourself! (I also offer a little reward at each session).

In addition, I find that when I’m working I get into a state of flow – a few moments in time when I am so completely absorbed by my activity that nothing else seems to matter. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says flow is the secret to happiness – a statement he supports with decades of research.

Another reason attending the workshops is self care is that you’ll make progress on a problem that probably has been weighing you down for some time, even if it wasn’t always at the forefront of your consciousness. And you don’t even have to pack up your stuff and haul it somewhere. That’s a double win!

“Attending a workshop gives me the excuse to do something positive towards getting something that’s important to me DONE!  Being with people who have the answers as we work is motivating and the feeling of going forward with securing my family’s precious memories keeps me inspired.” ~Judy

“Working on my photos brings me joy and makes me feel happy as I remember good times spent with family & friends. So taking the time to do something that makes me feel good is a priority.” ~Ellen

“I absolutely believe taking the time to attend the workshops is a form of self care.   I enjoy spending time with my friends, and friends-to-be at workshops.  Interacting with those in my social network who also enjoy photo keeping makes me feel connected to them.  As well as catching up in our personal lives, we share our memories and pictures.  We also provide each other support whether it be socially, emotionally or technically….in regards to traditional or digital photo keeping.  Attending workshops has been even more of self care in the time of COVID-19.” ~Laurie

What’s Next?

When you attend a Family Photo Keeper Workshop, you’ll get all the help you need, even if you don’t know where to start, or you’ve started and stopped many times before. You’ll be motivated to continue this important work, you’ll connect with others who share your love of family and family photos, and you’ll be taking good care of yourself (as well as future generations). It could be the best $6 you ever spent.

Click the button below to find out when the next workshop is being held (scroll about halfway down the page). I look forward to seeing you soon!