Unless family stories are written down, in three generations, they are lost.
By age 8, children have lost almost all early memories. But if a caring adult in their lives has woven those memories into stories, children remember the stories.
Research at Emory University has shown that teens who knew more stories about their extended family showed "higher levels of emotional well-being, and also higher levels of identity achievement”
Why Save Family Stories
Why Use Collage to Lead Writing
The University of New Hampshire has conducted extensive research in art- and- literature-based writing programs. www.picturingwriting.org My experience as a teacher trainer, seeing the success and joy the adults found in these methods, led me to found Family Stories through Art. By doing art first, when you begin to write, you already know the time of day, season, setting, and characters-all those elements of story.
Art makes your story a story for all ages.
Collage is flexible and forgiving. As you cut and move around shapes, your brain is actually acting out your story.
With the paper texturing techniques we use to prepare our collage papers, it is impossible to make a mistake.