Creative Leisure News - Memory, Paper & Stamps

The trends, the issues, and productive business strategies.

Technique or Storytellilng?

Techniques enhance memories by appealing to more senses.

by Ann Krier, Design One World, Inc.(November 21, 2005)

(Note: CLN 's report on the recent MemoryTrends show in Las Vegas included a quote from an exhibitor: "This industry is still spending way to much time and effort on technique and not nearly enough on story-telling." That elicited the following response.)

The entire purpose of a craft � scrapbooking included � is the physical, emotional, and general well being resulting from the task. The technique is the root of all of this. You can not benefit from what you can�t accomplish, and without the techniques, it may even become frustrating.

Then sharing your techniques with someone else creates a community, and this is what makes the creative industry unique. In other industries, with the exception of food preparation, the "how did you do that" is the precursor for patent infringement and competition.

"Story-telling" is one of objectives of scrapbooking � the overall point being memory recall or sensory stimulation. In order words, to evoke a memory, you have to involve several senses � touch, sound, pictures, words, and smells (if possible).

None of these things alone is as effective as the package. Good stories can be supported by pictorial representation, but memories are not just about the storytelling. They are about feelings and senses. Recalling memories often takes more than just words. Twenty or thirty years from now, when we "try to remember" the event depicted on a scrapbook page, it will be easier on our recall if the page evokes a feeling for the event. This is supported on an individual level with the choices of color, patterns, and elements.

Example: a wedding. Each guest is asked to create a page from the day and send it to the bride and groom on their first anniversary. They are compiled and presented in an album to the couple. Not only does the couple "see" what the guests were doing, they also get a general feeling for how the guests experienced their special day.

Some times mere words are not enough. The elements for scrapbooking, whether actual memorabilia, purchased items, or techniques, become a vital part of the overall memory. They are the "art" of scrapbooking.

(Note: Ann Krier is president of Design One World, Inc. "Original Design, Writing and Marketing for the Creative Industry." To contact Ann, call 336-287-5361 or visit www.designoneworld.com. To read previous "Memory, Paper & Stamps" entries, click on the headlines in the right-hand column. To comment on this or any other industry issue, email CLN at mike@clnonline.com.)

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