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July, August & September 2023
Our Theme is Photos!
Photos are incredibly important and always will be. The world today is taking more photos than ever before—more than 1,000,000,000,000 (that’s a trillion) each year. The 20th century was considered the golden age of film photography peaking in the year 2000 with 85 billion photos taken. In 2023, it is estimated that 3.2 billion photos are posted online each day. By the end of July more than 85 billion new photos will have been posted.
What’s my point?
That pictures aren’t going away—how we take photos and the time we spend with what we take has drastically changed—and this is what we will consider and collectively discuss during July, August and September. I want you to get really clear on WHY you want photos AND what photos you truly want.
American photographic educator, journalist and photographer, Ralph Hattersley believed, "We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us." I believe we are witnessing a major shift in how we interact with photos. We are the generation that is fluent in both accessible printing and digital curating and so we know things and must teach things to those that follow. Photos matter a great deal for many reasons.
Let’s decide what it means to be playful, productive and present with PHOTOS!
Rote the Quote
Each season we work on memorizing powerful and positive words.
Before each live session, we read and eventually recite (until they are rote) the words of a quote.
Click to PRINT
“It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera ... they are made with the eye, heart, and head. ”
Let’s READ a Book!
Life in Five Senses by Gretchen Rubin
Thus far, I feel like our 2023 books are a perfect progression from exploring and naming emotions to celebrating big and little moments to now living with more intention through the lens of physical senses.
AND who better than Gretchen Rubin to lead us on this quest. Since 2011 and The Happiness Project, Gretchen has shown us how to get really curious about something and how to apply what we learn in a personal way. To me, she is the queen of self improvement.
Of course our awesome Facebook coordinators, Cynthia Broadbent and Kim Willems are set to guide us in activities and conversations that will move beyond just reading or listening. Check out Life in Five Senses at your local library or purchase a copy on Amazon.
SUMMER Book Club is scheduled for: Watch discussion replay on YouTube
Let’s MAKE a project!
Story Starter Triad
Our project this summer is actually three projects, but before you decide there’s no time for that, let me assure you that ANYONE can do this kind of memory project—this is Story Starter and it is as meaningful as it is easy.
Click to see my Story Starter for Grandma Wanda
Monthly playdates are now focused on seasonal projects. During this 2023 summer, I will lead you in three sessions where you can practice remembering and recording specific sensory details associated with a person, place and thing. You will start with the story and then illustrate your words with photos you find or take—AND—you get to choose whether the format will be a mini album or a 12x12 page. Print the PDF Worksheet HERE and watch the REPLAY of our session here.
Introduction to Story Starter
Analogy of an attic of memories
Please Share Your Thoughts 🍉 on our SUMMER Survey!
Bonus Content
Rock Your Scroll
Want to enjoy Photo Freedom on your smart phone? As a member of Live Your Story, you have access to replays of FIVE LIVE sessions, where Stacy teaches the principles of plan, purge, prioritize, categorize and share with a mobile workflow!
Click HERE and enter the password: mobilerock
Photo Freedom Access
As a member of Live Your Story, you have ongoing access to my full Photo Freedom course. Click on the photo and then use the password: getorganized
There is a LOT there, but you can work through or review it at your own pace. I will refer to principles taught in this class often.