That thought of money hadn’t crossed my mind, but I’m sure it would have eventually. What I’m after is personal. When you sell creativity for a living, you are focused on your client’s needs, interests, goals etc. Now that I have a chance to do what I want, I also I have decades of material to work with, context galore, and tons of skills.

For example, back in 1984–85 I worked in Singapore and my photos of life back then are amazing. After I left I headed north and have over 5,000 negs and slides from my backpacking trip through Malaysia, Thailand and China. Turns out I captured one of the last travelling Chinese Opera caravans, plus some artisans (like paper cutters and reed weavers) and scenes of rural life that have long since disappeared. I still can’t believe I actually had enough high-speed film left to capture those Chinese Opera singers putting on their make-up by candlelight inside their caravans.

I’m also the keeper of 5 generations of family photos and there are only 2 people left in my family who knows who all these people are. If we don’t get these photos labeled, they will mean nothing to the next generation.

Same with family recipes and correspondence. The history of some of these recipes are great stories — but they must be told or they will vanish.

For 4 generations, the men in my family have built their own homes with their own hands. If I don’t document these homes, no one will know who designed and built them, let alone where they are. One home is in Montecito, California (near the homes of Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry). The garden of this particular home was built by my grandmother. I have photos of the grounds back in the 1940–1950s, but you need to see those gardens today to grasp the breath and scale of her vision. Awesome stuff.

Oh dear, you got me babbling on. While I am doing this for myself, whatever it becomes will someday belong to my children and grandchildren. That is its greatest import to me. I’ve led a full and complicated life and one thing I’ve learned is the importance of telling your own story. If you don’t someone else will tell it for you.