Walk into any antique store or vintage market and you'll find gorgeous, one-of-kind, interesting photos that clearly have a story to tell. There are cute toddlers sitting atop tricycles, important looking men shaking hands, and large groups of what appears to us as over-dressed people enjoying some kind of outdoor adventure. I am filled with a deep, sadness and curiosity when I browse photos like these. They have essentially been buried in the equivalent of an unmarked grave. 

One reason I scrapbook is to rescue some of my photos from this inevitable end. Will I ever finish my children's School of Life albums? Maybe not, but I will remember that I have exactly enough time (and energy and creativity) to scrapbook my most important memories. I will pair a few of my photos with the stories that will give them lasting value. 

I'm blogging today from Seattle as I sit at the back of a CreativeLive studio. I was invited by my dear friends at Close To My Heart (CTMH) to fly over and teach a short, 20-minute segment on the importance of telling our stories. The crazy thing is my Keynote slides didn't get loaded in the production room, so when I stood up to talk, there were no slides and I had to wing it, live! I don't really have a hard time talking, but this was a test of my professionalism, because I REALLY wanted to make a "T" with my hands and shout  "Time Out!" I presented a couple weeks ago at the CTMH Album Retreat in Salt Lake City, Utah, so I tweaked my message there for my segment today. As I look back on 20+ years working in the scrapbooking industry, there are a few things I've learned about storytelling that will help you stay focused on what matters.