It’s the everyday stories that make up our lives. 

In honor of National Write Your Story Day (March 14th), a day which encourages all of us to write our own unique stories, we wanted to dive into the topic of memory planning. With so many planner people having started out in crafting and scrapbooking, memory planning seems like a natural evolution. Traditionally, scrapbooking is known as those 12 x 12 pages filled with photos and embellishments documenting life’s special occasions. Whereas “memory planning”, is typically done in a planner (of your choice) and can take on many interpretations. It can also be full of pictures and embellishments or could be as simple as journaling about your day and adding a few stickers or highlights of color to the page. 

WHY TELLING YOUR STORY IS IMPORTANT 

•  Documenting each day creates a time capsule of our lives for ourselves and other to look back on.

•  Writing and journaling the events of the day is a great self-care and mental health practice.

•  Memory planning can be a creative outlet or hobby to express yourself in a new way.

•  It leaves a tangible legacy of treasured artifacts for family and friends.

Whether you’re already on a memory planning journey or need some help getting started, we’ve put together a guide of essential tools, inspiration and resources to help enhance your experience.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS 

Although memory planning can be done with just pen and paper, its so much more fun to add your own creative touches. Here is a list of some essential tools to consider adding to your cart when getting started.

•  Mildliner and Tombow Markers

•  Fiskars Paper Cutter and Xacto Knife

•  Adhesive Tape Runner

•  Photo Printer

•  Stamping Block and Ink Pads

INSPIRATION 

Look no further than Instagram (#memoryplanning) or Pinterest to find inspiration for creative ways to tell your story. Here are a few accounts to follow that are full of creative ideas and different ways of documenting the everyday. 

Top Row (left to right): @plan_on_it, @justplanwith.shan, @ajmcgarvey

Bottom Row (left to right): @darianplans, @tattooedteacherplans, @momruncraft

GETTING STARTED 

From online classes to YouTube tutorials to monthly subscriptions, there are so many resources to help you on your memory planning journey. Taking an online class or setting up a monthly subscription is a great way to keep you motivated and consistent plus give you ongoing inspiration and prompts to spark your creativity.

The most important thing to remember is you do you and embrace whatever works in your life.  Have fun along the way!

Top photo credit: @momandagirlwithplans