Preparing With the End in Mind: A Conversation with Rachel Donnelly, Author & After Loss Professional

Feeling pressured to tell your life stories?

Has a loved one given you a questionnaire or a book to write in about your life that feels like another to-do?

Does it contain absurdly challenging and broad questions like, "What's one of the most important moments of your life?"

Are you receiving tips on how to “express yourself” or make your stories “entertaining," "thoughtful," or "compelling" and don’t really know where to begin?

(Are you the one creating the pressure?! Keep reading. Today's article is also for you!)

The Story Burden: What Is It?

Maybe you're not a great writer, maybe you don't want to commit the time, or maybe you don't think you have good stories to tell. But "they" are asking you to write or record your stories anyway and maybe even throwing money at it via well-intentioned gifts to encourage you. That is what we call the "story burden."

We know the pressure comes from a heartfelt place. Our friends and family may think we and our stories are worth preserving and sharing. And the storytelling industry wants to help us structure our stories to capture people’s attention in an increasingly distracted world.

At the same time, these story pressures can snowball and become a giant turnoff. The well-intentioned tips, classes, and frameworks may backfire and prevent us from making progress. And progress, not perfection, is what matters, just as much as what “they” want. Right?

Set Your Own Goal

You can't get there, if you don't know where you're going. What is your goal in recording your stories, no matter the format you select? Perhaps your goal looks like one of these:

• • • Private, diary-like reflections that maybe you'll share one day with a chosen few.
    • Recording bits of your personal and family history to share your knowledge with your loved ones.
    • Capturing moments and memories that made you and others smile before the details slip away. These stories could make up the pieces to a great memoir one day!

No matter your goal, consider the strategies we've gathered below to see if any will help you make progress without that burden stories can create.

Time-Tested Strategies to Capture Your Stories

STORY PROMPT BOOKS AND CHECKLISTS

Lacking inspiration or searching for a jumping off point? Download a free checklist of interview questions. A great question source is the independent non-profit StoryCorps (check out the podcast, too) and it's FREE collection of life story questions aross 17 categories. Or you could download one of our many Artifcts Inspiration Lists to work through at your pace. These resources will avoid set schedules and fixed costs so you don't have to worry if you fall out of sync with their pace or wonder if you're getting good value for your money. It's free or a one-time fee!

If you're motivated by, let's say, a treat now and then, you could even eat your way to stories. One of our members shared with us how excited their family was to answer the questions wrapped around each of these caramels during the holidays. Talk about low pressure! 

SUBSCRIPTION STORY SERVICES

Need more motivation? Subscription services like Storyworth and many others can send you regular prompts by email or have someone call you and by answering them in a timely fashion, by yearend, you’ll have enough fodder to complete and purchase your responses in a book format. For additional fees, you can even add color photos, additional pages, and special covers.

SUPPORT FROM A PRO!

Worried you won't find the time to capture your story without the help of a real human? Hire a life story biographer to interview you and write your story. Whether a short 30-minute session to scratch the surface or a full life story multi-month endeavor, you can find an option to fit your goals and budget and remove the pressure from you to pull it all together. There are an abundance of companies that will do this and range greatly in price. If this is of interest to you, check out our partners, Whole Story Productions and LifeBook Memoirs. 

Bite-Sized Stories with Artifcts 

We heard a lot about the story burden as we began the research for what became Artifcts. We knew we had to do better and create something innovative that would avoid the story pressure while integrating the best of the tried and tested techniques of story telling AND sharing.

Let's begin at the very beginning. WHAT you choose to Artifct speaks volumes. The fact that you chose to take a moment and document THAT item lets your loved ones know that it mattered to you. The "story" becomes a bonus, a bonus that can be one simple word—e.g. Dad’s—or a 5,000+ word story.

Once you decide WHAT to Artifct, we try to make it as easy as possible to craft a story. If staring at a blank screen leaves you speachless (or wordless), we provide story-writing prompts to help you get started. Pick a prompt and go! Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect, you just have to start. 

We also designed Artifcts so you can proceed at your own pace. No pressure, no deadlines. You don't have to worry about missing a week or skipping a question. An Artifct a day, two hours on a Sunday afternoon, seasonal themes, or work your way through a collection, object by object ... whatever works for you! No stress, no quota to meet. 

Artifcts are also easily shareable to loved ones or professionals who may be assisting you with family history research, writing a memoir, or creating a family videography, saving you countless hours searching for, sharing, and annotating the materials when you’re ready to take that next step. 

If your family is asking you to share your stories, take it as an invitation—not a burden. You don’t have to write a memoir or capture everything at once. The most meaningful stories often begin with a single object and the memory it holds. With Artifcts, each belonging becomes an easy starting point—a photo, a keepsake, a recipe card, a travel souvenir—each one unlocking a story worth preserving. Don’t let overwhelm stop you or worry about where to begin. Simply choose one object, tell its story in your own words, and start today.

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© 2026 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

"I said I would go through it someday. I know I don’t need it all. But there it sat for over 15 years while I paid for the storage. I couldn't even remember what was in storage, much less enjoy it.” That’s what one Artifcts Community member of the boomer generation told us recently. We know she is not alone. 

According to an AARP magazine review of commercial storage trends, the older you are, the longer you keep items in storage. And, on average, boomers only visit their storage units once per month. How critical is that storage? How much cost and uncertainty does it create? Maybe, we need to take a minute to talk about the proverbial elephant in the room, or in this case, the storage unit.

“Our family moved a lot over the span of 20 years, and I was in constant survival mode. There was no time to ponder what we kept and what we let go of much less the good stories to pass on,” said another Artifcts Community member. He then proudly (or rather sheepishly) shared that that is how they ended up one time moving a trash can still full of trash. 

He was trying to justify to himself why he and his partner kept moving the same ‘stuff’ from house to house, even if only to put back in storage in the next garage, closet, and attic. (And that eventually became a downsizing adventure of epic proportions. Read about it here.)

We have also heard from people who held onto items and expressed some version of, “Surely it will still be worth something, and I can sell it,” only to find it degraded over time in the hot attic, the style or material was no longer in vogue when recovered from the basement, or some other reason meant that no, it was a lost cause. And still others have confessed to using storage for items and sometimes nearly whole estates they have inherited and did not have the time, interest, or heart to go through.

Sound familiar? Or think you're immune? Given today's demographics and the impending great wealth transfer, we are all at some point going to have to encounter this very dilemma--too much 'stuff,' not enough space, and the desire to preserve and share the family memories and stories behind those keepsakes.

How to Make the Most of the Money We Spend on Storage

Keep in mind, storage is not always at an offsite property where you pay a monthly fee. Want to talk about expensive storage, consider the climate controlled space you live in!

#1  KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU STORE

If nothing else, make a list and take pictures of the bulky and or valuable items in storage or heading into storage. Better yet, Artifct what you store. Otherwise, you know what they say...out of sight, out of mind. 

When you create an Artifct for the items heading into storage, you can also affix an Artifcts QR code sticker to the box to help you easily recall which box the item went into in its storage location. Bonus! Staring at a wall of boxes? Having an Artifcts QR code sticker on the outside of the box is a quick and easy way to figure out what's in the box without having to open or unpack. 

Tag Artifcted items with two tags: one that's simply #Storage and a second that's the specific location, such as #attic, #fronthallcloset, or #storageunit. That way with a single click on any #storage tag you can easily review what you're storing, and second click #attic, and "Oh, yes, that's what's up there. Maybe it's time to take it out of storage and use it."  

If you're working with a professional moving and storage company, they usually offer services to help you create an inventory for practical and insurance purposes. We encourage you to consider this the "if nothing else" bare minimum, because we believe you deserve more than an inventory of stuff.

#2  THINK AHEAD TO CAPTURE USEFUL DETAILS

Photos of the objects are important, including from multiple angles, especially if you live in an area prone to natural disasters. But we also recommend a video snippet that gives a 360-degree view if an item is particularly special or valuable. The video may capture details and imperfections you otherwise overlook.

Grab approximate dimensions and weight, too. This will help whether you need to move it again or file an insurance claim. 

You may also enjoy our ARTIcles with tips on Articting for Insurance as well as Artifcting for Estate Planning.

#3  ASK BEFORE YOU STORE, THEN STORE, AND STORE SAFELY

We know it might be hard to let go of that piece of furniture that's been in your family for decades or even generations. Likewise, those bins of old papers and photos that you know tell your family's story. It's all very tempting to store for someone someday to enjoy again.

• • • If you Artifct it and share it, with one click you can ask someone if they want the item if you do not, using Artifcts as a decluttering app. If they do not want it, you can more easily now let it go to a new home.
    • If you choose to store it, and let's assume that space is climate controlled, please still think about what boxes and bins you are storing the item in. So many of the most popular bins you pick up at local shops will let off gasses ("off-gas" in archival terms) and ruin photos, film, and documents. And without proper care, textiles can also be a lost cause. You don't want to realize you lost the history and stored what's now trash. Use archival quality materials. Archival Methods offers great tips and supplies. (Visit Artifcts' Our Partners page for a discount on your next Archival Methods purchase!)

Ready to Make Some Decisions?

You’ve read about how long-forgotten belongings can quietly take up space and money, and you now have tools and strategies to track, document, and care for what you store. But real progress happens when you act.

Set aside an afternoon — or even just a couple of dedicated hours — to tackle what’s in storage. Pull things out, see what’s there, and be honest with yourself about what truly still matters. Use Artifcts to capture photos, videos, and stories of the items you decide to keep so their meaning isn’t lost, and let go of what no longer serves you by donating, gifting, selling, or recycling it.

It can feel overwhelming to face years (or even decades) of accumulation — but breaking it up into a manageable block of time turns a daunting task into a meaningful afternoon. Make a conscious decision about what happens next with those belongings, and you’ll not only reclaim physical space but also peace of mind. Your future self will thank you for finally confronting what’s in storage and making intentional choices about what stays and what goes.

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© 2026 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Earlier this month, one of our members wrote in to ask us what to do with the old jewelry she’s accumulated that she no longer wears or may have seen better days. Her predicament... 

“I’ve just started downsizing and going through our bedroom closets. I’ve come across a rather large collection of jewelry pieces that I either no longer wear, didn’t remember I had, or are broken and in need of some TLC. I plan to Artifct the ones that I will keep and one day pass down to my daughter and granddaughters, but I’m not too sure what to do with the rest. I’ve heard gold is at record prices, and I’m wondering if I should sell some of it rather than simply donate to our local thrift shop. Any advice?” 

Our first response after reading her note was, “You’re not alone.” We routinely get this question a couple of times a year, although we’ve yet to write about it. So, in honor of and in tribute to those of you who’ve asked and those of you who’ve wondered, this ARTIcle is all about what to do with the jewelry you no longer use.  

Many of us have jewelry tucked away in drawers — broken earrings, outdated rings, chains tangled in a giant knot, or pieces we just don’t wear anymore. With gold and silver hitting record-breaking prices in recent years, now might be a great time to think about selling those pieces for cash.  

Turning Old Jewelry into Cash — Without Losing the Story 

Precious metals markets have seen historic highs. Gold has surpassed multi-year records — recently trading above $5,300 per ounce according to multiple market reports — and silver has also surged, making old metal jewelry potentially more valuable than it has been in decades.  

That means your old gold bands, silver bracelets, and even scrap metal jewelry could be worth far more today than when you first set them aside. You might be wondering what do I do with it now, or you might be willing to let go of the pieces but concerned about preserving the memory.  

If you find yourself in this camp, Artifct the pieces you plan to sell. Photograph each piece and enter the details about where it came from, who owned it, and any events or moments connected to it. Consider adding a photo of you back in the day wearing the piece. Was the piece a gift from a loved one? Include a photo of them too, as part of your story. This way, the story lives on with Artifcts, even if the items themselves don’t stay in your hands. 

Looking for Ways to Sell Old Jewelry? 

Here are common places people sell their jewelry — each with pros and cons: 

• Local Jewelers or Dealers: Professional buyers may offer competitive prices for gold and quality gemstones based on current metal prices. 
• Pawn Shops: Quick and easy, but often lower payouts. 
• Online Marketplaces: Platforms like eBay, Etsy, or dedicated resale sites such as Worthy can expand your buyer pool and potentially get higher prices — especially for vintage or branded pieces. 
• Consignment: Let a jeweler or boutique sell for you — you may earn more, though it can take time. One of our business partners, National Rarities, may be able to help, especially with gold or silver pieces.  

Pro tip: Before selling, get multiple quotes, check reviews, and always know that a lot of jewelry gets melted down — its resale value is usually tied to metal content, not necessarily emotional or design value.  

Keeping and Passing Jewelry Down  

For many families, jewelry is much more than metal and stones — it’s a legacy. Perhaps it was your grandmother’s engagement ring, your aunt’s vintage brooch, or a locket your parents gave you on graduation. These pieces carry stories that transcend material value. 

Even if you don’t wear or display every piece, you can honor its meaning: 

• Document Stories: Use Artifcts to upload photos and narratives — who gave it to whom, the occasion, what it symbolizes, and even how it was worn.
• Add Context: Include letters or cards, old photos of the piece being worn, or transcripts of conversations about it.
• Connect Generations: Invite family members to collaborate on the same Artifct so everyone contributes their memories or interpretations. 

Documenting, preserving, and sharing the stories behind the pieces through Artifcts keeps not only the jewelry itself, but the stories behind it in your family history, not just stored in a drawer. 

You'd never know the story behind this necklace just by looking at it! 

If you do plan for pieces to stay in the family: 

• Make It Meaningful: Writing down why you’re choosing a particular heirloom for a specific family member adds intentionality and sentimental depth. We wrote extensively about this in Gift Your Loved Ones a Why.
• Use Artifcts as a Legacy Tool: Artifcts can serve as a digital keepsake your next generation can revisit long after the physical piece changes hands — or even if it gets lost. Bonus! You can’t split a diamond ring in thirds, but with Artifcts, one member can inherit the ring, and all can inherit the Artifct of the ring. 
• Fill Out the 'In the Future' Field: Don’t leave it to guesswork. If you know who you want to inherit the piece, use our In the Future Field to document your wishes, and then share with your attorney or estate planner. 

Our 'In the Future' field makes it easy to pass down jewelry and other keepsakes. 

Whatever You Decide — Keep the Story 

Whether selling pieces for their intrinsic value or keeping jewels close for future generations, Artifcting their stories ensures memories aren’t lost. Jewelry often carries layered personal meaning and Artifcts helps you capture that meaning forever, no matter what happens to the physical objects. 

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You might also enjoy reading these related ARTIcles:

Your Future Family Heirlooms

Everything You Wanted to Know About Appraisals But Were Afraid to Ask

How to Artifct That Heirloom

© 2026 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.