The History Project

I can’t tell you just how excited I am about this class!

It has been something stirring in my mind for quite some time–one of those thing I always think. “I need to do this someday…”

Well, NOW is the time.

What is The History Project?

We are the storytellers. We tell the story of our lives. We are all at different places in recording our current lives, some of us have been doing it for a few years and some of us may have been doing it for a few months. But generally speaking, we are in the process of recording our life as it happens now, which is great!

But what about your story? What about the things that happened to you as a child or as a teenager?

We never seem to have time to write these stories down because we are busy scrapping more current events.

We all have a different story. Different ways of growing up. Different family situations. Mine is very unique as compared to even my own children that have lived in the same house their whole lives.

Your story is important. Your story is interesting. Your story needs to be recorded simply and efficiently, without spending all the time worrying about product and laying out pages and finding photos like you do when scrapping. It’s all about the stories, not the foo foo.

It’s all about your history.

Why do The History Project?

Let me share a couple of personal examples with you.

My mom passed away at age 65 due to a series of strokes. Much too early, if you ask me. She shared stories here and there of her life, but do I remember them? Not very many. Did she write them down? No. Those stories are now gone with her. I am sad about that. We have boxes and boxes of stuff that we’ve gone through–tiny little reminders of who she was and what she liked, but no personal stories behind those items. I’m really sad about that.

I want  my kids to know those stories about me. I don’t want them to be left with nothing that says who I am or how I became who I am.

I think one of my most treasured things I have is a list of different stories from my dad. I had a ‘family tree’ assignment for Creating Keepsakes several years ago and I thought it would be fun to have the grandparents and parents share their lives at the same age as my 8 year old son. Now, I basically grew up without my dad in the home because my parents divorced when I was nine. I didn’t get to hear those random stories about childhood like my kids do. So when I got a handful pages of different stories from his childhood? I was in heaven. It is pure gold. On top of that, we got to go with him to his childhood hometown, Sheridan Wyoming, for his 55th high school reunion. My sister brought a tape recorder so we could record the flood of memories that came from being there. Again….gold.

So what will we leave behind for our children? Yes, many of us make scrapbooks and maybe even keep journals, but I didn’t necessarily scrapbook or journal when I was nine….did you? And what we think now can be different than what we thought then. Perspective and all.

The important thing is to write it down.

And that’s what this class is all about. Getting those memories down on paper in a fun and unique way.

I want to help you gather those moments in time and collect them in a book. A book that’s all your own, to design how you want to do it. There is no rhyme or reason, only a starting point with a subject and ideas each week. It’s all about letting those thoughts flow. Freedom to express what’s only been in your head.

We will be doing this on a weekly basis so that it will always be in the forefront of your mind. It will help you to complete your project within a year. And if you get behind a week? There’s no worry because this is not a chronological memory book.

By doing this together we support each other. We give each other that drive to leave something of you behind.

What you get in the class each week? (52 weeks total)

• You’ll receive a PDF by email with all the journaling prompts and tips on how to journal the subject for that week. Sometimes I’ll even suggest a photo or ephemera idea to include. All this will be in the PDF to make those ideas and thoughts flow easily into your journal. FYI: The email used will be your PayPal email unless otherwise noted.
• Additionally the PDF will include my own page examples so you have a base to start with.
• You’ll receive an exclusive KB-designed graphic element to add visual interest to your journal. Like I said previously, this isn’t about the foo foo, however, I do like a little visual interest. :) But that can be done in a simple fashion.

This graphic element may be a cuttable word image or a cute little decorative card or whatever. Please note, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A CUTTER to do this project. Anything that can be cut can also be printed onto transparency or paper using the PNG version and included in your entry.

What is the cost of the class?

$52. That’s $1 a week for the whole 2013 year for the PDF and graphic element. More than anything, I wanted this class to be affordable, easy, and fun with a little visual goodness mixed in. That’s my vision.

[ To purchase, click HERE. ]

What do you need for the class?

A notebook or journal and a pen. That’s all you need.

I’m using a composition notebook because there’s no better sound to me in the office supply world than a crinkly notebook. But that’s what I’m doing. Is it the most archivally safe? Probably not. But I really don’t care. :) Hey, if my great grandfather can write in a journal using just an ordinary pen on paper that surely wasn’t archivally safe and have it last 100 years, so can I.

What would be fun to use for the class?

Here is a list of a few things that I’ll be using:
Washi tape! Hello! So easy and fun and visual…and affordable…and thin.
Date stamp(s). Okay, so I may have a variety of those. ;)
Cardstock if you’re cutting elements. Paper or transparencies if you’re printing.
Alphabet stickers.

Remember: Keep it simple.

Do I have to start right at the first of the year?

No. You don’t. Even though the class officially starts on December 31 (a Monday), you can jump in at any time and will have access to all the PDFs and prompts up to that point. This is not a chronological set of memories. We will be all over the place with our memories. It’ll be like one of those compilation children’s storybooks. :) However I will be focusing on the ‘pre-adult’ years, 0-20.

The Moral of the ‘Story’.

When all is said and done, this is your story, your way. It’s your history. You have complete freedom to do it how you’d like. It’s meant to be simple. It’s meant as a solution to recording your life. It doesn’t matter what your age is. You can even get your kids or your husband doing it along with you. Put all your answers in one ‘family’ book or keep your own books.

The important thing is to share your story.

Let’s do it together. I’m so excited! :)

ETA:
For an additional post about this class, go HERE.
And here’s a little sneak into the introduction lesson for the class.