Hi, I’m Tara, aka The Personal Yourstorian. I live in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA with my husband, our two young children, and our dog.
I’ve had a passion for people’s stories for my entire life. As a young child, I remember asking each of my parents to tell me stories about when they were my age. Growing up, I spent hours poring over family photo albums and my parents’ yearbooks, both with them and on my own. I was lucky to have a grandfather who was a consummate photographer and videographer, so I also had a wealth of home videos, which I watched constantly (and sometimes forced friends and family to watch with me). In school, I was fascinated by historical figures’ stories, but I hated the way history was taught: “Country X invaded Country Y…” Countries don’t pick themselves up off the map, there are people involved, why aren’t we learning their stories? In college, I double-majored in Psychology and Anthropology, which touched a little more on actual people’s stories, but it still didn’t fit quite right. Meanwhile, the internet had exploded onto the scene, and suddenly everyone was sharing their stories through emails, blogs, and social media platforms. I stumbled upon the (now-defunct) Association of Personal Historians while searching for family tree software, and after reading more about it, I knew this was what I was meant to do. I dabbled in various forms of personal history for several years after that, mostly focusing on photo montages for life cycle events. After the birth of my first child, I developed a strong interest in birth stories, and I created and curated a submission-based birth stories blog. In June 2020, stuck at home in the midst of the pandemic, I embarked on the ongoing journey of recording my Grandma’s story. This has reignited my passion for people’s stories, and my desire to help people tell their stories.
Our stories are what make our lives meaningful, and I believe that everyone deserves the chance to tell their story, and that every story deserves to be told. Whether you are looking to preserve your story for future generations within your own family, or you feel called to share your story with a wider audience, I am here to help facilitate that process. I look forward to helping you share your story, and I am honored that you choose to share your story with me.
