Paper as an alternative to personal social media

At least for me, my personal Instagram is/was for more than just sharing. Behind that most apparent reason, there is the many times I went back to what I shared in the past and remembering the things I did and places I visited. So more than a social space, it's also a place to immortalize memories (apart from all the other sh*t it is now, too)

Lately, I realize I unconsciously moved towards using design, specifically print, to share and document memories. And, I mean, it's nothing new at all, we used to do this a lot before, with photo albums, postcards, handwritten letters... But I haven't seen an up-to-date photo album ever since before social media took over our personal memory keeping.

I don't exactly want to write about returning to our old ways. Partly because I don't think I have much to say about it, I feel there's nothing we don't know about photo albums. But also because social media has since changed the way we share and the things we share. I don't imagine anyone making a photo-dump photo album any time soon (though I won't be the one to stop you). I feel like Instagram has added a narrative quality to sharing memories, at least in many people's profiles. People get creative. It's not just the photos, it's also the captions, songs that accompany the posts, stories and highlights...

Now, all that can't be replicated, and well, what would be the point in that? But there are alternatives to sharing life and memories creatively, with paper. And it doesn't really matter how creative you are, these can be adapted to any level of creativity or craftiness.

One of those alternatives is creating your own postcard. If you travel somewhere, instead of getting a generic, touristy postcard from a souvenir shop, use one or multiple photos you took. Print it, stamp it and send it. If you're feeling extra creative, you can add more to it. Make a custom design, add a drawing, a cute sticker you found....

But you don't need to travel to send a postcard! You can also make one with your daily photos: The view from your window, the trees on your walk, your tea in the morning... Send it to your closest friends, to your grandma, your parents... This is something I haven't done yet but writing about it makes me want to do it now!!

Another idea is making a zine. It can be as simple as a one page folded zine, or it can be more elaborate. You can make it by hand, use collage, draw on it, write or design it digitally and print it. It's a compact but versatile way to share and keep memories. And you can send duplicates to your friends and family or just have them at home and show them when they visit.

You could make one every month or semester with your favorite memories. Make it yours, like a photo dump but in book form. Or make one for a special occasion or trip. I'm actually working on one for a roadtrip I took in September. Right after the trip, I wrote a text with highlights, funny moments, places... and now I'm putting it together with the photos. My plan is just to keep it for myself, but I might send/give copies to people too.

Or make it a big project, a yearly/quarterly magazine with your adventures, routines, places you visited, and the memories created with the people around you. You can also make one just for yourself, which can also include your accomplished goals, the new things you tried, new people you met, adventures you had, even things you learned... It would be a way for you to remember your year's wins, and in a few years, you'd revisit those memories and see how far you've come.