Reading time: 3 minutes 

We all have them—those projects we’ll get to "one day." No, we’re not talking about chores around the house or our honey-do lists, we all have those too.  

Today we’re specifically talking about projects made with love and attention that we start with the best intentions and then... life happens. Maybe our vision starts to deteriorate, or our arthritis ticks up; or maybe our free time becomes swamped with doctor’s appointments, visits from family, and the like, and those projects are left in a semi-done state to get to one day.

Even if the project is unfinished, it doesn’t diminish the love, the meaning, or the thought behind it. We all have our own reasons or obstacles for not finishing those projects and no one is here to judge.  

We want to take a moment and highlight an example from one of our Arti Community members and encourage you to scan through your own projects and those of loved ones and consider if this story might inspire you to action! 

The Stocking That Wasn’t 

She was an avid needlepoint artist back in the day, and still enjoyed dabbling in the craft as the years went on. She started the tradition of making stockings for her grandchildren one year, many years ago.  

Each stocking took months if not a full year to make but she did make them. Until she got to the last grandchild, that is. She started the stocking, stitch by stitch. She got about halfway through and then life happened. There was always something else to do, some reason why it wouldn't get done today. 

Her family at first teased her about it, hoping that it might prompt her to finish. The teasing turned to pleading to no avail. And now, years later? Vision, arthritis, and well, life, have conspired and she cannot complete the stocking.  

Does it diminish the work she has done? No, not at all! Does it diminish the love, thought, and care? Not even close. Sometimes those unfinished projects have their own stories, even working their way into family lore: “Remember the stocking Grandma started but didn’t finish?” "You mean my stocking? Yeah, I remember!” Even the unfinished piece is now a cherished family heirloom. 

But what happens if you want to finish that project but are no longer able? Or you inherit an unfinished project—blanket, quilt, needlepoint, etc.—that you would love to see finished and used?  

That’s where the Loose Ends Project comes into play, and why we invited them to our Spring 2024 Evenings with Artifcts.

Loose Ends is on a mission to help families complete unfinished textile projects after a death or disability. It’s truly a labor of love and a gift from the heart. Watch the replay, and maybe get a little inspiration for your unfinished projects or next steps if no one in your family has the skills to see a project through. And when you do see that project through, take a moment to Artifct That! After all, it’s the story, memory, and person who got it started that make the object irreplaceable and uniquely yours.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 4 minutes

Data Privacy Day is an international event that occurs every year on 28 January. Never heard of it? Chances are that you're not alone. The day was created back in 2007 to bring awareness to the “importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust.”  

As you may know, one of our founding cornerstones here at Artifcts is privacy. We believe your information is yours and yours alone. We will not sell or otherwise transact the personal information you entrust with us. Similarly, we want to ensure you are in control of your information and data, which is why we’ve made it easy for you to upload and download your files and your Artifcts.  

We also make it clear in our Content & Community Policy that you retain not only the right but also the ownership of any information you use in creating your Artifcts. This includes copyright. Sadly, not all online platforms share our beliefs. When signing up for new online or app based services, be on the lookout for: 

• • • Memberships plans that end up turning your information public or shared within the platform if you do not pay certain continuing fees. 
    • Where the personal information you upload is being stored – a private server or another third-party platform like YouTube with another set of privacy practices to review? 
    • Who owns the information you upload? For example, does it become part of the commercial commons in the name of the greater good? Do you support that no matter what (because there may be no going back)?
    • Default settings that favor making everything public, including your name, posts, and permission to use your activity for targeted ads and other purposes.
    • If it’s a site or service you will depend upon, consider setting a Google Alert for changes in privacy policies, data breaches and other key terms so that if you should miss an email from the company or a headline, you’ll have yet another opportunity to hear about it and take action.

What Should You Take Away from Recent Media Headlines? 

Recent news reports underscore the importance of putting your privacy first and foremost. Forbes reported on 22 January 2024 that security researchers had recently uncovered the largest data breach to date, including 26 billion personal records across Dropbox, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. The researchers note that malicious actors could "leverage the aggregated data for a large range of attacks, including identity theft, sophisticated phishing schemes, targeted cyber-attacks, and unauthorized access to personal and sensitive accounts."  

Seeing reports like this can lead us to falsely believe that there isn't much we, as individuals, can do to protect our privacy. That’s simply not true. There are several simple steps you can take to enhance your privacy and safeguard your data wherever you have online accounts and transactions. And, if you’re a member of the Arti Community, you will have received an email from us today encouraging you to do a privacy check up on Artifcts.com, following many of these same guidelines: 

• PASSWORDS. Have you changed yours lately? We recommend you update your passwords at least once a year. And while you’re at it, ensure that your password is a strong password, that is, take that leap to 16 characters, and include alpha numeric and special characters.   
• TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. You may not like another step in your process, but you should use it, where available, especially when dealing with financial or personal, sensitive information, like medical records. Two factor authentication simply means that in addition to your login, you will be prompted for a second means of authenticating that it’s really you. This could be a text, a call, or an email. Do a quick scrub of all your online banking and medical accounts to double check that two factor authentication is set up, and that your second means of authentication is up to date.   
• PRIVATE BROWSING. Don’t want Google to track your every move? Consider using a private window in your Chrome, Brave, Safari, or other web browser (go to File > New Private Window, or similar path). Or use a privacy-first browser from the get-go, such as Duck Duck Go or Brave. These browsers do not store your personal information or follow you around the Web with ads.    
• WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T CLICK! If you receive an email from an unknown sender with an attachment or link, don’t download, don’t click, and just to be extra safe, delete it. What if you receive the link from a trusted contact? If it is out of the ordinary, or something you were not expecting, text, call, or otherwise double check outside of email just to be safe. Cyber criminals are getting smarter and developing new tactics seemingly daily, including spoofing (i.e. impersonating) email addresses.  

Interested in learning more or looking for other resources? The Future of Privacy Forum has helpful infographics and educational materials, especially tips for protecting youth online. The Electronic Privacy Information Center also offers simple guidelines for consumer privacy and a break-down of some of the most common internet scams. 

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Did any new books find a cozy spot on your bookshelves this holiday season?

On the recommendation of a friend, I picked up The Postcard by Anne Berest. That last copy available at my local book shop.

No more than five pages into the book, I was up out of my reading chair, my rooibos chai tea set aside and cooling rapidly, making notes. This book is practically an award-winning advertisement for Artifcts. In the space of mere pages, I picked out these gems:

Anne, the lead voice for much of the book, confesses she could not have picked her relatives out of a photo and "felt a wave of shame."

How many of us feel the same way? The shame is often about "Why didn't I listen?" or the close cousin, "Why didn't I ask?" This is why we say, "Storytellers, Beware!" And how many of us are willing to invest the time and energy to actually get answers? While some enjoy chasing histories, it's not for us all, and then so much is lost.

Anne also equates her mother Lelia's memory boxes and archival boxes to "little coffins."

We feel the same. If you are willing to spend the money to protect items you care about with archival boxes, please Artifct them so you give life to the items within for anyone who comes across them. And here's an extra tip learned the hard way: if you are going to frame an object, first take pictures to use for your Artifct so that you aren't wrestling with glare once framed.

Lelia refers to the mixture of fact and family lore "blended stories" that fit her own ideas and theories about the past.

Family lore is important. It's instructive, it's real, it may be all you have to go on. Sometimes, we'd even say, it's as interesting to hear the many versions of a past as the facts that may be discoverable.

It's not until a bit later in the book that I saw another important theme emerge regarding the seemingly trivial 'stuff' we accumulate during our lifetimes. Lelia is rummaging through a desk drawer, flicking past check stubs, bills, old day planners, ticket stubs and more, and the book's author writes that these were, "[  ] All the scraps of paper we accumulate over the years, the kind future generations will hesitate to throw away when they're emptying out our drawers after we're gone."

You know it's true!

But now you have Artifcts, so no excuse. So much less guilt and loss when you declutter.

Of course, it's not always the scraps of paper. Later in the book when Anne is in the waiting room of the office of a private investigator she's looking at the knickknacks and debating: sentimental or bought to fill and decorate the space?

It's normal to wonder. It's also normal to be completely frustrated when you have no answers and it's a space more personal to you, like the home of a loved one.

When someone asks me about when, where, or what to Artifct, I think, "YES!" The fact is, now is when we live. Artifct anytime, anywhere, anything that speaks to you. It will become a part of your story.

And I wish you a more relaxing book read than I experienced this go around when Artifcts was constantly on my mind!

__________________

You may also enjoy:

The Three Things I Wish My Mother Had Artifcted

If Books Could Talk, What Would Yours Say About You?

The Artifcts Bookshelf: Books About or Related to 'Stuff'

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 3 minutes

My semitranslucent, plastic purple bin measures roughly 10 inches by 12 inches. I chose it because it was easy to spot and distinguish from my other storage bins. Already 20 years old, I’ve transported the bin to homes in six US states; it sits quietly, minding its own business in my dark attic. 

What’s in the bin? Hard to remember most days.  

If I were to lose it or Mother Nature were to destroy it, I’d feel the pain of curiosity about my loss, but I wouldn’t be able to quantify that loss. And in all honesty, I’d get over it a lot faster than I did the destruction of a beautiful handmade piece of pottery I purchased in New Mexico when a shelf fell and crushed it. 

Pulling down my purple bin from the attic, and peeking inside, I rediscover the mishmash of my life: old cards, letters, and postcards; graduation cords, metals, and diplomas; “Collectors'” coins and stamps of dubious real value (Do you have any of these collections?), and the like. Hidden within, however, are also irreplaceable notes from my daughter and husband, my parents and siblings; my first passport with visas from Sweden and the Czech Republic FULL of memories; my baby book, largely empty, but containing information that I know is only recorded within its pages.

I’d wager you have stuff like this, too. (Unless it’s STILL at your parents’ house???) It’s the ‘stuff’ we each keep and tote with us through life because of the memories it holds, life changing to the mere, “It made me smile” and even, “Oh, the nostalgia!”

Will you Artifct your purple bin? 

Personally, I’ve Artifcted only a few items in my purple bin, tagging each #purplebin. Think of this as a digital shoebox.

I really do love to travel so I Artifcted that first passport. I also Artifcted some foreign currency I’ve been holding onto and the stories of my travels through South Sudan, Haiti, and other places less often traveled. And I Artifcted particularly special cards and letters, each made meaningful by some combination of who it was from, the occasion, and the message shared.  

I know the contents of my purple bin would almost certainly never create conflict in my family. In fact, I’d be okay with recycling nearly everything in it, no harm done. 

But for all of you reading this, I’ll ask you (and myself) this: What if we’re wrong?  And do not say you won't care, because you'll be dead. We're sure you don't reallllly want to do that to your loved ones, create unnecessary conflict and make the grieving process that much worse, that is.

Take another look inside your purple bin. Could the contents mean more than you know to others in your life? If there’s any doubt at all, Artifct that, share with them now, or indicate “In the future” who should have the items so you can pass down stories and memories, not just things. 

Beware the purple bin: It is off limits to decluttering and downsizing

My mom had a purple bin. It was a cardboard box in the back of the closet in the den. It was full of school papers, artwork and similar from my siblings and me. When I was maybe 10 years old, I went through it and divided its contents among my siblings without my mother’s permission.  

None of us really wanted any of it and so we threw most of it away. But it’s only now, as a parent myself, that I realize that among the many mistakes I made in that scenario, a big one was the assumption that my mother saved it all for us to have someday when we were older. Maybe, maybe not. 

Looking in my own purple bin, I know that I have saved so many things from my daughter for my own memories and happiness. Pure love and kindness are written all over each of them. Isn’t that enough reason to keep them? 

Yes, it's enough. 

It is enough that the contents of the purple bin are special to you. We humans are tactile creatures. For most of us, to varying degrees, tangible items provide reassurance and peace of mind. The items also fill in our memory gaps, “Oh, yeah, that’s right, we went to Disney World when I was seven and I was so excited to convert my allowance into Disney dollars. But, ugh, do you remember how hot it was?” 

We should all take care and give space (and grace) for the purple bin. 

What's in your purple bin?

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Readers,

As we approach the New Year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support, encouragement, and feedback, whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are just joining.  

Ellen and I created Artifcts to change our relationship with ‘stuff’ and lighten the financial and emotional burden that so often surrounds the stuff we keep and even the stuff we let go. Our goal as founders is to enable you to not only to capture, preserve, and share the histories, stories, and memories behind your most cherished objects, but to also discover (or maybe even rediscover) the joy and human connection that go hand in hand with the items that make us, well, us!  

This year has been one of great growth for Artifcts—we've doubled our membership base, including members across the United States and in 12 other countries and counting. More members have created more Artifcts, and some of our members have even out-Artifcted Ellen and me, which is no easy feat considering we each have 300+ Artifcts!  

As we’ve grown, we’ve remained true to our core and our mission, placing you, your data privacy, and your security first and foremost in all that we do. We know you place a great deal of trust in us as you create your Artifcts and it’s important to reaffirm that we’ve got your back, always. Our patent (yes, we received our first patent last month!) is proof of all this and reinforces it—our patent protects the very cornerstone of our technology and provides a launch pad for the innovation we've dreamed of for years.  

We’ve also pushed head-long into the brain health arena this past year, winning the Massachusetts eHealth Insitute’s Healthy Aging Pitch Competition, and embarking on a year-long pilot study with the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. We hope to validate that Artifcts and the process of Artifcting can be a powerful screening tool for brain health so we can flip the script, reduce the fear, and start the conversations sooner about dementia and its prevention and treatment.  

We’ve traveled the country during the past year on our quest to understand and transform the world of ‘stuff.’ We’ve spoken with experts at AARP; presented at genealogy, LongeviTech, AgeTech, photo management, and downsizing conferences; and learned from and shared with experts in the estate planning and insurance space who are eager to harness the power of Artifcts.   

We’ve also received some much-deserved recognition, beginning in May when the State of Texas recognized Artifcts as an Innovator in Aging. That was quickly followed by an award from  Family Tree Magazine naming Artifcts as one of the best genealogy tech tools of 2023. Ellen and I were also honored to be featured in a mini documentary from Voice of America, and to contribute chapters to the National Aging in Place Council’s book on Difficult Aging in Place Conversations. Bottom line, the word is getting out. ‘Stuff’ and legacy matter, and we are leading the charge here at Artifcts.  

As for the here and now, the Artifcts team is hard at work ensuring Artifcts is where you need it, when you need it. Stay tuned for carefully researched and designed new product features, publication of our spring webinar series schedule, and announcements of new partnerships spanning brain health, end of life, moving and decluttering and beyond as we transform our relationships with ‘stuff’ together.  

We’ll be starting the New Year with a bang at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with our friends at the AARP AgeTech Collaborative. To say we’re excited is an understatement.  

With that, Ellen and I invite you to join us in a virtual toast as we say, “Cheers to 2024!” May it delight and surprise us in all that we do.   

Happy Artifcting, 

Heather

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

With a plethora of digital media outlets, influencer-promoted blogs, and industry-specific publications at our fingertips, what did our readers enjoy most from ARTIcles by Artifcts during 2023? We dove into the data to learn more and consider what’s next in ARTIcles by Artifcts for 2024. 

Data can still be a bit like reading tea leaves, but we emerged from the numbers with a few insights: you value structured approaches to consider new issues and behaviors, enjoy focusing on ‘stuff’ problems—great news, because we're a company focused on ‘stuff’—and appreciate tips and ‘how to’s.’ Within these three broad insights, you may be surprised by the variety of topics that broke through to capture your attention and deserve spots on the top 10 list of ARTIcles by Artifcts for 2023.

#10

Before You Thin Out That Stuffed Animal Collection, Consider What Scientists Have to Say

Why do we have and keep so many stuffed animals to start with? It turns out, this is exactly the right question to be asking as we mark the start of May - Mental Health Month. 
  
In a recent decluttering spree with my daughter, I found myself unexpectedly sentimental over so many she was ready to part with because I not only remembered when and from whom she got each, but I could picture her toting them around with her, cuddling them on car trips … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “How to Artifct Childhood Mementos.”

#9 

What is a Family Keeper, and Why Should I Care?

Have you heard of a “family keeper?” We meet so many through Artifcts that we discuss them quite often and with deep fondness. But it’s only recently that we discovered there’s more than one definition for a family keeper, and the definition you know may influence how you interact with the keeper in your family, too.  

In Artifcts parlance, a family keeper is a positive, warm concept. A person becomes the family keeper by default or by choice ... Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “I’m the Family Keeper! What Do I Do with It All?”

#8 

How to Artifct Family Heirlooms and History

Often genealogists and/or the "family keepers" find themselves on lonely hunts for the details of the near to distant past that help them piece together their family history. If you truly seek to preserve memories and keep the family history alive, the scattered facts, photos, and memories locked into family trees and timelines or behind paywalls might be your best tools and your biggest hurdles.  

Here are a few of our favorite combos of photos, video, and audio for a family history experience that will stand the test of time and engage ... Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “How to Share Genealogy Stories with Non-Genealogists.”

#7

How Swedish Death Cleaning Helps You During a Move 

The new show streaming on Peacock, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, has returned author Margareta Magnusson’s concept of “Swedish death cleaning” to the headlines. The idea she outlined in her book is deceptively simple: Continuously organize and declutter your home to reduce the burden on loved ones of sifting through hundreds of objects to decide what is significant and should be kept, and what needs to move on out, “to make the later years of our lives as comfortable and stress-free as possible.” 
  
Artifcting is a means to continuously and easily … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in the first story on this topic from Artifcts, published in early 2022, “The Joys of Swedish Death Cleaning.”

#6

Could You and Should You Part with a Family Photo?

I’ll admit I’m a sucker for click-bait news headlines like the recent one, 'I sold a family heirloom to pay for my wedding - guests are now refusing to attend'. Basically, the eldest son in a family inherited a valuable family heirloom and decided to sell it in order to fund a lavish destination wedding. His reasoning? “I'm not much for big family traditions, so although it's a nice thing to have, I'm not massively attached to it. I have plenty of other good memories of my father and I don't need a fancy heirloom to remember him by ...” Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “Interrogation Techniques for Photos: What is this Old Photo?” 

#5

How to Artifct That Photo

One month from now, you’ll remember the outlines of the day when you took that photo because it rained hard, you and the kids got lost, and you packed only one of the camp chairs. One year from now it might become a generic, “We went camping at Eagle’s Nest last year.” And a decade from now it could be, “We used to camp a lot.” Which story do you want to hear? Which tells you more about the moment, the people, and the colorful, painful, humorous facts of life? … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “Photos & Stories Go Better Together: A Conversation with the CEO of The Photo Managers.”  

#4

How Two Sisters Overcame the Guilt to Lighten the Load of Family Heirlooms

Up until a few years ago, Rachel Donnelly, founder and CEO of AfterLight, and her family owned their old family home that had been in their family since 1890. Imagine the history those walls could tell! This home, in Eastern Tennessee, was where Rachel’s great-grandparents lived, where her grandmother was born, and where her mother was raised.   
  
After Rachel’s mother died, the family made the difficult decision to sell this beloved … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “From Rare Art to Family Heirlooms: Tips from a Master as You Consider Selling Your ‘Stuff.’”

#3

What Should You Do with Old Scrapbooks?

Scrapbooking is more than a hobby. It’s a time-consuming, big-hearted passion and nearly infinite outlet for creativity. These works of art visualize people’s stories. 

The thing is, scrapbooks also take up space and collect dust. They feature people no longer in our lives. They can raise more questions than answers with the items they feature. And then, the physical reality – they fall apart. Read on for more on scrapbooking dilemmas and … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “Keepsake Boxes, Remembrance Boxes, Memento Boxes: Boxes Abound!”

#2

Decluttering for Dementia

If you’ve ever needed a better reason to stick to or create a resolution to declutter your home, this one might do it: It’s good for your brain. And we’ve seen it firsthand.   

In today’s piece for ARTIcles by Artifcts, we talk openly about facing a loved one’s dementia diagnosis, and how, maybe to your surprise, decluttering can help.  

Dementia is heartbreaking, terrifying, and, so far, irreversible. Even if a loved one is in many ways themself, we know the disease is slowly changing them and shortening their life. I know. I have a loved one who is among … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “Decluttering for Dementia: Paper Clutter.”

#1

Swedish Death Cleaning a Marriage

Yep, you read that right. If you can Swedish Death Clean a home, why not a marriage? Marriages are a lot like homes. You build them up over time, fill them with memories, histories, and yes, even ‘stuff.’ Mementos from the newly wed days, important firsts and milestones, travel mementos, kid art, photographs, and the list goes on and on. It’s amazing just how much stuff accumulates over time.   

Over the course of our lives, we are apt to move at least 11 times … Read the full ARTIcles story.

You may also be interested in, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Appraisals but were Afraid to Ask.” 

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With the top 10 locked in for 2023, we wish you well and will see you again in 2024 for more ARTIcles that will offer you fresh takes and perspective on all matters 'stuff.' Stay tuned!

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If you'd like to suggest a topic for future ARTIcles, please write to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.