Winners of the Goodtype 'A' for Artifcts Lettering Contest

If you've been following along here at Artifcts, you know that Artifcting to support downsizing and decluttering as well as building those intergenerational bonds are very much a part of our ethos. So you can imagine how at home the founders of Artifcts found themselves when chatting recently with Marty Stevens-Heebner on her podcast How to Move Your Mom™ (and still be on speaking terms afterward). Stevens-Heebner's podcast features top experts as well as older adults and family members who’ve lived through it all in the search for answers to the questions most people don’t know to ask and explore the possibilities, complexities, and potential of later life.

Our discussion was wide ranging! Here are a few themes that guided our discussion:

• Where you can preserve and share the history behind your personal treasures for generations to come
• Why documenting your most important possessions with younger family members can bridge the generational gap and create closer relationships
• The surprising crossover between Artifcts and insurance. Make sure you have the proper coverage. File claims faster and easier.
• How sharing these memories makes it much easier to let items go when you’re downsizing.

Catch the preview here or jump in and enjoy the full podcast now by clicking the image below! 

And if you get curious as you listen, here are two of the Artifcts we mentioned in the discussion:

• Asolo Hiking Boots, from @Heather
• Mystery Ring From My Grandfather, from @Egoody

In the words of Stevens-Heebner, "What objects are traveling through your history with you?" We'd love to share your story at Artifcts. Contact Editor@Artifcts.com.

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“If you want an engaging conversation, ask people about the ‘stuff’ in their homes!” said Steve Gurney, Founder and Director of The Positive Aging Community, after a delightful and high energy conversation with the founders of Artifcts yesterday. 

The Positive Aging Community seeks to foster the connections to the right solutions and the connections to help make aging choices easier and more accessible for all. Within that framework, Artifcts has created a brand new domain for ‘stuff,' so that all the objects we collect and accumulate as we live our lives are transformed from a burden on future generations – and even as we move and downsize today—to the source of personal connection, story and legacy, and financial security.

“It’s not enough to capture memories with journals and interviews and ignore all the ‘stuff,’ and today we learned that The Positive Aging Community agrees,” said Artifcts co-founder Heather Nickerson.  “There’s a lot of frustration and exhaustion out there because of the burden stuff has become to store, sort through, and find future homes for. If we can alleviate that burden and capture the meaning, memories, histories behind our belongings as well, we’ve made the world better.”

The entire discussion with The Positive Aging Community is available on instant replay here. The discussion ranged far and wide. A few themes we touched on included:

• The simplicity of creating Artifcts – As Steve said, if you can join a Zoom call, you can create an Artifct. 
• No need to be a storyteller or have that kind of time in order to create Artifcts. Just write five words, e.g. “My mother gave me it.”
• Collaborating through Artifcts' invite-only circles and shared editing privileges to capture stories you do not personally know at all or only in light detail
• How to Artifct large photo, document, and other collections
• Making Artifcts more accessible to those who are less comfortable on computers and smart phones through Artifcting with a child or grandchild
• Finding the right solution for your needs and making sure you know how you can download your digital assets and assign legacy contacts so your digital assets are not lost in cyberspace in the event you or a loved one passes away.

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Artifcts is pleased to announce its expansion into the memory care community, where the joys of our daily lives represented by the objects we keep can empower everyone to capture their story. Artifcts' collaboration with Virginia-based Insight Memory Care Center (IMCC) will help to bring the power of story-sharing to the IMCC community.

"Insight Memory Care Center is excited to collaborate with Artifcts to bring their innovative, engaging and meaningful service to IMCC families with early stage dementia," said Lindsey Vajpeyi, Early State Programs Director. "IMCC values care, connection, and creativity, and Artifcts is a platform that strives for the same. Artifcting provides an opportunity to spend quality time with friends, family, and care partners to remember, document and share stories in a safe and supportive environment."

Artifcts does away with the need for story prompts and tedious inventories of a life lived. Instead those tangible mementos, photos, and videos you keep provide the source of inspiration. Artifcting is an easy and fun way to remember the moments of life behind those objects and preserve your personal history and legacy. Keep your Artifcts collection private or share it to connect with your community and your loved ones – you decide!

IMCC cares for a diversity of memory impairments and offers a variety of innovative programs to support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. IMCC also provides support, education, programming and resources to families, caregivers, and the community. By offering person-centered and holistic care, IMCC creates opportunity and a community for those affected by memory impairments to live their highest quality of life.

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DEMENTIA RESOURCES

During the course of our work at Artifcts, we've come across a pleathora of resources related to those affected by dementia. Starting local is imperative to social connection and availability with the every expanding digital universe, so many more options are now at our fingertips. Many you likely know, including the Alzheimer's Association, UsAgainstAlzheimer's, and AARP. There are two additional resources that have learned about more recently that we wanted to flag for those just starting this journey or on the lookout for new resources:

• • Alzheimer's Speaks. Artifcts recently joined their free directory called the Dementia Map. We encourage you to explore the map to find the right resources for you and your loved ones.
  • Great Age Reboot. One of the standout features is that the Reboot Your Age app includes research-supported programming, including the quintessential "games" associated with brain health. Artifcts has no affiliation with this company.

© 2022 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.