Don't keep things tucked away (for later) ✍️
I’m currently in the process of updating my complete photo archive. Don’t think too much of it. I’m reshuffling folders on my NAS so they can be indexed by Synology Photos. Think Google or Apple Photos, but running locally. The advantage is that it stays private and doesn’t require paying for ever-growing cloud storage.
So far, I’ve moved about 70,000 files from my archive, up to 2015,into the Photos app to be indexed. I still have a lot of work to do for the past ten years, but after just a day of processing, the results were immediate. I now have an easy-to-use catalog of photos and videos, organized by year, event, place, person, and any other metadata I’ve added. I shared it with my wife, and we immediately went on a small trip down memory lane.
These files have always been available, but tucked away on a drive, never viewed or reviewed. And that’s a pity, because they contain so many memories, just buried behind friction. Who still opens Explorer these days to swipe through folders?
And what’s even worse, and why I stopped at 2015, is that I switched to shooting in RAW. The original files live on the drive, but the edits only exist in Lightroom. Technically everything is there, but practically nothing is usable without work. I’m now dedicating time to untangle that mess. It’ll take a while, but I know it’ll be worth it.
Just like this example, it’s far too easy to put things away for later. Storage, both digital and physical, is everywhere and cheap. Run out of space? Press a button, pay a bit more, and you don’t have to decide anything.
This pattern of “unlimited” is everywhere.
Get an e-reader and store more books than you’ll ever read.
Store all your notes in a second brain, just in case they’re useful later.
Keep a growing list of future projects because now isn’t the right time.
I’m not saying that storing things is bad. But when everything is stored, revisiting anything becomes unlikely. Storing something safely isn’t enough if there’s no clear path for it to re-enter your life, it might as well be gone.
It’s by coincidence, following the announcement that Google’s AI may soon use personal photos and files, that I revisited my old NAS and decided to upgrade it. What stuck with me wasn’t the technology, but the realization that anything I value needs a way back into my life, not just a place to be stored.
Photos, journals, projects, or even that half-finished novel are all digital (or analog) time capsules. When we lock them away, we also lock away the emotions, lessons, and inspiration they hold. By pulling them out, organizing them, and sharing them, we turn static data into living memory.
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