In Part 1, I wrote about the difficult I had getting to organizing the printed photos I brought home from my mother after she died. It’s been interesting working on my mom’s old pictures. As I work with my personal photo organizer I feel helpless; I can’t make decisions, I don’t know how to sort, how to organize. It’s like I’ve never been a professional myself. I’ve become the client. It’s been so great to have the support of someone else as I sort through the memories, the old photos, the old photo albums. There is someone to bounce things off of and someone to help get those printed photos off those old magnetic album pages they are stuck to when I don’t have the patience. I have to remind myself that I don’t have the patience because they are my family photos and when I am detached, it feels different. It’s good for me to have this experience because it really helps me know how my clients feel.
In process
As I’ve been doing this with help, I realize that I need help for the rest of my photos and memorabilia. I think once I get help and get started, I can continue by myself. And that is how it will be with some of my clients as well. Some will be able to finish by themselves and others will need me to complete the project for them. Organizing your own printed and digital photos is so much harder than it seems. I totally get why my clients have a hard time working on them by themselves and why when we work together, even if I’m not helping them every minute, having the support nearby makes a difference.
Organized
This has been an emotional and enlightening experience for me. I think I’m a good organizer and now I will be even better because I allowed myself to be human, to realize I needed help and asked for that help. I am better able to understand and relate to my clients. And I’m going to ask for help again!
Have you ever put yourself in the place of your clients? What was that like for you?
Susan Berland is a Personal Photo Organizer and a member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers. She organizes print and digital photos and memorabilia, and creates keepsake albums, displays and gifts. Her passion is helping people get organized and create a legacy for their families.
