Do It, Before the Moths Get to It! 

The colors, textures, and patterns can take you back to a moment in time in a blink. Unless you’ve had clothing professionally preserved—same goes for other textiles, of course—these treasures are vulnerable to holes, fading, and other wear and tear. And the reality is that in many cases, they have an expiration date in terms of actually being used or usable because fashions change, we grow up, and sometimes our day-to-day lives require different attire.  

Whether you hold on to it, donate it, or otherwise rehome it, we have borrowed a few ideas from the Arti Community to help you Artifct those textiles: 

• Honeymoon shoes + picture together + Dad’s voice telling their story 
• Work photo + what you wore + the story of that day 
• Ticket stub + that t-shirt you bought + original signed CD cover (gasp!) + a few fun details of why you love(d) that music group 
• Pictures of a quilt + grandma telling you about her passion of quilting + note she sent you when she gave it to you + story of its place in your home and life 
• Baby dress + photo of her wearing it + who gave it to her + why you’re still holding onto it 

Don’t Forget 

Textiles really are very vulnerable to their environments. And take up space. And for many carry feelings of guilt. It’s fine. Take this Artifcting moment just for you - remember what it means to you and decide on a better home if it’s not yours. 

What’s old could be new again. If you love the game, you can make good money in resale markets for textiles of all types. Start local. For designer items we love the work of Jussara Lee, NYC so you can keep and upcycle it or move it on. There are also big box national outlets—such as ThredUp, The RealReal, and even Etsy—if that’s better for you. 

_________________

Have another tip or approach for clothing and textiles?  

Share on social media or write to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.  

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Allure of “a Picture is Worth a 1,000 Words” has Tricked Us! 

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? 

Digitization has made keeping all those moments simpler than ever, but making sense of them in our lifetimes, never mind a generation from now feels hopeless sometimes. That’s where the easy act of creating an Artifct comes in.  

• Old photo of mom in a tennis dress + mom’s voice telling you about it 
• Three jokester guys sitting on a fence + names and dates on the back of the photo + who they are to you, where that fence is, and why they were there together 
• A picture of a random skyscraper + you on its top floor smiling at the camera + the story of your first visit to the UN in NYC and how it inspired your career 
• A photo of your family living room + special items within the room + story about your childhood home 

Don’t Forget 

Work on digital photos bit by bit, but certainly start with the newest before you forget the details. Trim your massive collection by removing duplicates, generic landscapes, and pictures of people you don’t know or don’t like. And, yes, it’s okay to throw away pictures of your former in-laws that you haven’t spoken to in 20 years. 

Are we talking old photos, as in generations before you? Consider Artifcting the collection – you can take a new picture with several old ones captured in it – and sharing to a family invite-only circle on Artifcts, giving members edit access to the Artifct to add details they know about the old photos. 

Before you digitize old photos, negatives, and the like, read our story on ARTIcles by Artifcts. And if you need help, consider hiring a Professional Photo Manager.  

_________________

Have another tip or approach for photos?  

Share on social media or write to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.  

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I spent a week last summer with my aunt and uncle in Colorado. Each an engineer by training, and family genealogists and historians by passion, our conversations were wide ranging and invariably fascinating.  

What made this visit noteworthy was it was the first since my uncle retired. With a lot more time on his hands, he's in the throes of, you guessed it, #HabitChange. No more daily drive to the university where he worked. No more rush to feed the dogs, take out the trash, and out the door he goes to run his engineering lab. Instead, like a scene out of the movie The Intern, starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro, he now has to make a daily plan to get out of the house and engage with the world as he steps into and shapes his retired life and lifestyle. 

Habits are of course hard to change. I am reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, and it's a must read in my view because it speaks to all of us no matter our day-to-day way of living. 

For example, are you the type of person for whom the moment an item is added to your to-do list you ignore it as though it were written in invisible ink? Or do you sweat that list out until it's done, hopefully as soon as possible, and then cross it off your list with great satisfaction? 

Yup, James Clear sees us all and has strategies to help. 

As I read, I could see how the new habit of Artifcting fits into Clear’s strategies for #HabitChange and wanted to share my translation of a couple of his tips to help you build as you curate your Artifcts collection. Taken slightly out of context, the best line of the book may even be, “Stop thinking about your environment as filled with objects. Start thinking about it as filled with relationships.” Relationships reflect interactions, shape habits. Don’t you want to capture those meaningful relationships, memories, stories? We think so, thus, Artifcts! 

Three Habit Strategies for the #Artilife 

STRATEGY ONE 

Like everything else in life, to create new habits, you need to consider first what “rewards” you want from, in this case, Artifcting. Depending on your situation, maybe you identify with one of these, and it will help guide you to the right habit-based approach to Artifcting and what you do with your Artifct once you create it: 

• I need to be better organized and in greater control of the ‘stuff’ around me. Consider our 5 Ways to Start Artifcting, room by room, most valuable, most cherished, that closet you hate to open … 
• All this stuff will not fit in my new home. There’s no arguing with dimensions. Get Artifcting early and don’t forget to include those dimensions in the Artifct details! 
• I want to make sure my loved one is not forgotten. Artifcting need not be a solo experience. Create an invite-only circle to share and remember those who you have lost. 
• I need help researching my family history. Invite-only circles on Artifcts are one place to start so that you can invite family in to see heirlooms, but social media groups are often another great source of information, and you can easily share your Artifcts into social media for more fact and family lore gathering. 
• I love swapping good stories, laughing and remembering with friends and family. So try sharing an Artifct or two and see how that works for you. 

STRATEGY TWO 

Frame Artifcting as a "when" activity so it becomes intentional. The key here is to be very specific! 

• "Every Tuesday at 9 pm, I'll grab my phone and create two new Artifcts." 
• "When I add something into storage, I'll Artifct it first."
• “When I buy something over $100, I will ask myself, “Is this an Artifct?” and Artifct it on the spot (with receipt!) and fill in the full details later. 
• "When I unpack my suitcase, I'll Artifct my new mementos as I place them around the house." 
• "Every Friday when my son brings his art folder home, I’ll Artifct his projects with him while he has an after-school snack.” 

STRATEGY THREE 

Try out what Clear calls "habit stacking" to incorporate Artifcting into your regular routines and existing habits. 

• "Each season when I organize my closet, I'll Artifct any sentimental pieces, and then sort the items into three piles: keep, consignment, or donation." 
• "As I review my estate plan each year, I will check that my Artifcts are included in the tangible assets memorandum."
• “As I add an item to her baby keepsakes box, I will Artifct it. Then I will put the box away immediately.” 
• "After we clean out the woodshop each winter, we will take breaks. During the breaks we’ll Artifct special projects and tools.” 

Still wondering whether and why to adopt an Artifcting habit? You're busy and you have your ways, after all! My uncle made an excellent point by referencing the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner, "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in the rain."

Don't lose your history. Pass it on with all the beautiful photos, videos, audio, and story details included, Artifct by Artifct. 

Happy Artifcting! 

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Any mistakes in the interpretation of the habits to Artifcting belong to Artifcts. In fact, we would encourage you to download the free habit cheat sheets from the author at atomichabits.com/cheatsheet! 

Be Real and Try Not to Assume 

When it comes to family heirlooms, even setting aside family dynamics, we are inundated with media headlines telling us “No one wants it,” whether the “it” in question is artwork, china, jewelry, or furniture. Maybe. And that might hurt. But maybe not. Have you asked? Someone in the family might be interested for an entirely unexpected reason, like their own memory or history related to the object, or a special interest in it, or an idea on how to make it live on with a new use. 

Capturing the story behind an heirloom might be the best and final way to honor its family heritage and history and potentially find it a new home. Here are some interesting combinations we’ve seen at Artifcts: 

• The baby bassinet + a photo of two generations of babies in it + the details on who owned it, why you have it, and what’s next (you hope) for the bassinet. Click the image below!
• A photo of Dad in a suit + his cufflinks + an appraisal report + the story of that day he wore them and maybe even who gave them to him. 
• Grandma’s front hall painting + a picture of the artist’s signature + her on video telling you where she and Grandpa bought it and why. Always remember the importance of gifting your loved ones a "why."

Don’t Forget 

"In the future" is an optional field when you Artifct, but it’s a powerful one too (especially when then shared with your estate planner or uploaded to your digital will!). It can help see your wishes through and relieve the burden, guilt, and strife that could befall the next generation who is tasked to rehome it.  

Feeling torn whether to sell it or keep it? Maybe you need more information. After Artifcting, you can always click, “What’s it worth?” to get a free valuation from Heritage Auctions Appraisals. 

Small museums, historical foundations, and even professional archives may be interested and will in fact preserve them!  Here’s a useful starting point for help: The Society of American Archivists. 

_________________

Have another tip or approach for heirlooms?  

Share on social media or write to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.  

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Capturing Simple to Complex Collections 

Don’t hesitate, dive in! Those collections of wine, dolls, watches, art, stamps, and handbags all have stories to share and will not speak for themselves.  

We’ve learned that Articting collections often relates closely to your motivation, that’s your motivation to collect something in the first place as well as what you would like to one day become of your collection. Is it a casual hobby that brings you joy, an investment that you will sell off in part or whole with time, or is this a passion that you will transfer one day to family or perhaps a philanthropy or foundation of choice?  

See if one of these Artifcting approaches will help you to preserve the ‘why’ and greater ‘value’ and also align with your motivation. 

• Put on your sentimental hat. Think about the collection this way: If someone were to inherit your collection, are any pieces of particular value to you? Why? Start with these because there’s no time like the present. 
• Most collections have natural groupings. Start and complete Artifcting for one group before moving on to the next. 
• Attach inventory lists as “Documentation” in your Artifct and use the Artifct photos and video to go into the true value (market or sentimental), your personal ‘why’ behind the collection, and highlights pertinent to any special pieces in the collection. 
• Start big, work your way down by taking a video to scan the collection. You can then dedicate a certain amount of time per day, week, or month to add more details to individually Artifct each piece or Artifct together in “like” groupings and add to the description details about individual pieces of the collection. 

Don’t forget! 

You can request free valuations after you Artifct an item if you have a paid Artifcts membership so you have more information to decide how to store, distribute, insure, and otherwise manage your piece for the long haul. 

Documentation is your ally. Inventory lists, warranties, certificates of authenticity — the full story you don’t want everyone else who views the Artifct to see... endless possibilities. Attach those documents in the "Documentation" field when creating an Artifct to keep them private and only viewable to you. 

Digital storage is your secret weapon. Artifcting the most revealing family photos to make sure history is not lost? Still have 1000s more where that came from? Digital collections can sit happily where you have them. Simply provide the file path/folder/site information in your Artifct under “Location” so those you give Full Control or pass on your Artifcts too will know where to look for more if they are interested! 

_________________

Have another tip or approach for collections?  

Share on social media or write to us at Editor@Artifcts.com.  

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It’s that time of year again! Time to make promises to ourselves to be better, work smarter, live healthier, and so forth and so on. I swore decades ago that I would not make New Year's resolutions. Nope, not me. I would make New Year's goals instead, family (and pets) included. 

What’s the difference? In my mind, goals are things that I work to achieve over the course of the year. Things that I can make incremental progress on and forgive myself if I don’t follow through on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. To me, goals are the friendlier version of resolutions; goals don’t require me to give up anything or go all draconian on one thing or another. (And good thing too since only 9% of Americans follow through on their resolutions by the end of the year!) 

Here at Artifcts, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at the most common goals people set for themselves for the New Year and thinking about how Artifcts can help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be. Okay, there may be some limitations, as I have yet to find a way that Artifcts can help me run a 5K with my daughter, but you can bet that we’ll be Artifcting the medal after the 5K! As for my goals, here’s a peek at a few along with tips for how Artifcts can help you make AND keep New Year's goals. 

My goals for this year are: Spend more time with my family, clean out my junk drawer, organize my digital photos, and run a 5K with my daughter. Sound achievable, no? Let’s break it down: 

Goal: Spend More Time with Family 

Artifcts is a great way to spark intergenerational conversations and stories. Visiting an older relative? Look around their house and pick an interesting object. Ask them the story behind it, what it means to them, and why they keep it. We can’t wait to hear what you discover! Same goes for kid art (what is it and what were they thinking), old photos (who is that and what are they doing), really, anything that sparks your curiosity and makes you ponder “Why?” Ask the question, create the Artifct, and share the memory.  

Goal:  Clean Out [Insert Space in Your House Here]  

We all have those spaces in the house where ‘stuff’ lurks. For me, it is my junk drawer. My husband may have moved a full trash can between houses, but I moved a full junk drawer. I need to stop making excuses. Out with the junk and in with the Artifcts. That Red Sox ticket from 2003? There’s a reason I’ve kept it all these years, time to Artifct it and move on. Same goes for the nearly impossible puzzle I bought years ago. My entire family will thank me for this goal.  

Need more decluttering support? Check out this story on ARTIcles. 

Goal: Organize My Photos 

Did you know that the average American has over 2,000 photos on their phone? That’s a lot of photos! Ellen has previously discussed the overwhelming nature of digital photos in  this story on ARTIcles. So what do you do with all those photos? Artifct the ones that mean the most; the ones that have a story behind them; the ones that you are going to want to remember decades from now. And when we say the “ones,” we really mean the “ones.”

I Artifcted eight photos last year; four were old photos, two of which I had the story behind, and two of which I am still searching for the stories. The other four were photos from events and moments in time that I wanted to remember not only for myself, but for my daughter, too. Artifcting is my way of remembering for her, of ensuring she will have the story (and memory) when she wants it.  

###

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.