Bringing memories to life

The Blesma Storytelling and Wellbeing Programme helps Members tell their personal stories using much more than just words. The latest hands-on event even helped Members relive forgotten memories.

With an array of blunt scissors, leaking glue pots, wonky positioning and dog-eared corners, homemade scrapbooks were the ultimate symbol of childhood devotion to football teams, pop stars, hairstyles and hobbies. They faded from popularity under the deluge of digital capabilities brought about by the internet and smartphones, but a recent Blesma Storytelling and Wellbeing Programme (BSWP) project redefined the pastime into a powerful tool to reawaken memories and stimulate cognitive behaviour.

A six-strong Blesma group consisting of four Members and two carers enjoyed a captivating day exploring the potential of scrapbooking by creating albums with subject matter ranging from holidays and historic pubs to personal artwork.

“It’s all focusing on preserving memories and moments in time,” says Tuesday Critchfield, Project Manager at The Drive Project, which organised and delivered the event. “It was a really enjoyable day, and throughout it we realised how beneficial it was to the participants’ wellbeing. The whole process of sifting through photographs and choosing which ones to include creates deep connections. Most of the time we have hundreds of photographs stored on our phones or computers that we barely glance at.

“There were really lovely moments in the workshop where people started sharing stories about their photographs. We found that it stimulated their memories, helping them recall moments and events which they soon brought to life. The activity acted like a portal into the past because they were enjoying moments that they had forgotten.

“It was also really empowering to create scrapbooks that could act like a legacy for the family, loved ones or friends. These are moments and connections that are often lost. It was very mindful and reflective.”

Forgotten moments. The Scrapbook Your Stories day, delivered by Tuesday and her sister Frankie, who uses scrapbooking in her work as a design and technology teacher and artist, started with a session creating collages before the team moved onto creating their own distinctive scrapbooks.

“The Members all said that they take photos, store them on phones and don’t look at them or, at least, certainly not in the same way as they did when selecting for their scrapbooks. Then, they were really accessing their memories and reawakening forgotten moments,” says Tuesday.

“The process of using their hands to glue and stick things into position was also very grounding and mindful, bringing stress levels down. It helped everyone bond and connect with one another, sharing stories in a supportive environment that, in turn, contributed to everyone’s creativity. It was beneficial in so many ways.”

Steve McNeice used the event, which was held at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, to explore and showcase his own artwork.

“When I was a kid, I used to cut pictures of footballers out of magazines for my scrapbooks. Things have certainly evolved since those days, and when I heard about this activity it sounded like an opportunity to preserve and present stories in a shareable form,” he says.

“This updated version of scrapbooking is a great way of telling and sharing your stories, and you are limited only by your own imagination. It is a mix of traditional scrapbook techniques and journalling, and I found the session very creative and thought provoking.”

Steve, 63, is a former member of the Territorial Army, who was struck down by a life-threatening bacterial infection after service that led to a double above-knee amputation.

“The day challenged my perceptions of how you can present things, such as collecting plane tickets and other bits from holidays and using them to create a story that you can keep going back to,” he says.

“I paint, so I printed off two portraits I did of my kids many years ago and also included two new drawings – a self-portrait and a worker bee representing Manchester, where I grew up, that I can just leave for the kids in scrapbook form. I would never have thought of doing that if I hadn’t gone on the course.”

Member Jackie Cross and her husband Tim, veterans from Hampshire, bought a mini printer straight after the event so that they could continue creating scrapbooks at home.

“It was a relaxed and friendly group, and it really got our creative juices flowing,” says Jackie, 60, a former Territorial Army member who lives with a rare form of multiple sclerosis. “I am an artist, but I have suffered a bit of a creative block recently. This has really got me back into thinking about drawing again, which is brilliant. I felt it helped bring memories back and got me closer to them.

“It was a fantastic day, and we are very fortunate to have Blesma and to be able to access events like this – everyone is so friendly.”

Tim, 68, a former musician in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment, adds: “It really brought scrapbooking up to date and elaborated on it. It was nothing like I remember from school, with the rubber nozzle for the glue and cutting out magazines. It was a great experience and something we will continue with.

“I visit historic pubs in London and learn all about their heritage, so it is perfect for that – it will allow me to bring that to life so it can be shared by others.”

Tuesday adds: “Everyone came at it from a different angle, and it was such a warm environment that people could get out of their comfort zone and learn lots of things about themselves, and grow. There is no right or wrong way to approach scrapbooking, but the possibilities for what you can create are endless.

“We live such busy lives that memories can be lost, but this is a way to preserve them in a form that works for you, creating something to look back on and cherish.

“There is scope for us to deliver more on scrapbooking, as we know how beneficial engaging with arts activities is in helping improve memory – an area we have been focusing on across BSWP workshops.”