Episodios

  • I've Missed You! - A Heartfelt Hello and a Sneak Peek at Something Special For You! (And it's not about A.I.)

    I've Missed You! - A Heartfelt Hello and a Sneak Peek at Something Special For You! (And it's not about A.I.)
    Jul 12 2023

    It’s been a while hasn’t it?

    I’ve missed our monthly conversations about the delicate, but essential Art of Memorialising. While this catch up is not a newsletter (they’ll be coming back soon) - it certainly is news!

    My absence from writing these past six months has not been without cause. I’ve been on a quest that has taken my full attention and energy.

    It’s now one I am excited to share with you.

    Do you remember our last conversation? It was about how I just couldn’t do it all?

    In my time away, I’ve been working on a project very dear to my heart. Years of empathy and listening to people’s stories led to this project. The art of memorialising someone we love begins with the words said, when we say a last goodbye.

    The countless times I’ve heard the phrase, “I want to say a few words at the funeral, but...” became a calling for me. It inspired me to create a tool to support and empower people in crafting personal heartfelt eulogies for their loved ones.

    And so, I am thrilled to announce that I’m ready to publish my new book titled:

    I Want to Say a Few Words: How To Craft a Heartfelt Eulogy for a Loved One’s Funeral.  A Simple Step-by-Step Process, Packed with Eulogy Writing Ideas, Help & Advice from a Professional Eulogy Writer

    This compassionate guide helps to create a heartfelt eulogy that is more than just filling in a template. It’s so much more than that.

    Let me give you a sneak preview of my writing process.

    BTW I use Atticus - An Author's Best Friend - for writing and publishing and it’s fantastic!

    But here’s the best part of this edition. This isn’t just any announcement.

    As a part of the Art of Memorialising Community, you’ll be getting an exclusive opportunity in the coming days. A chance to secure a copy of the book at a special, reduced price for a short time only.

    Look out for more details soon. I can’t wait to share the results of the last six months with you.

    In the meantime, please accept a heartfelt thank you for your patience during my silence. I’m looking forward to our renewed conversations.

    So much has happened in the last six months. Soon I’ll be bringing you up to date with the latest news on digital legacy and digital immortality and even deeper explorations into the Art of Memorialising. And yes, I will probably be talking about A.I.

    With warmth and gratitude,

    Pete

    There’s much more to come. Keep an eye on your inbox for the next update about the book, and as always, feel free to reply to this email with any thoughts or questions you may have.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theartofmemorialising.substack.com
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    5 m
  • The Future Is Yesterday!

    The Future Is Yesterday!
    Dec 12 2022
    So what will AI be able to do in the future for digital legacy?Let’s try an experiment.Why not use AI to write the newsletter introduction this month?Here is what I asked the AI to write.Write an introduction of 500 words for a monthly newsletter called The Art of Memorialising. Include a paragraph saying the article was written by ChatGPT. Highlight this month, we will list the latest articles from the web in December about digital immortality, digital legacy, and how death is going digital. Add a humorous paragraph about the pace of change coming with AI. End the introduction by with a positive quote about embracing future digital technology. Wish everyone a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Sign off with best wishes from Pete.Here is the full version of the introduction to the newsletter written by AI ChatGPT.Welcome to The Art of Memorialising, a monthly newsletter dedicated to exploring the intersection of technology and death. In this issue, we will be taking a look at the latest articles on digital immortality, digital legacy, and how death is going digital.But before we dive into that, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm ChatGPT, a large language model trained by OpenAI. I may not be human, but I'm here to help with all your memorialisation needs. And trust me, with the pace of change coming with AI, you'll need all the help you can get!Now, onto the articles. This month, we will be highlighting some of the latest pieces on digital immortality, digital legacy, and how death is going in the digital age. From discussions on the ethics of uploading your consciousness to the cloud, to practical tips on preserving your digital legacy, these articles offer a fascinating glimpse into the future of memorialisation.But while the future may seem daunting, it's important to remember that technology is here to help us. As the famous inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil once said, "The future is not a destination, it's a direction. And the direction we are moving in is towards greater intelligence, creativity, and innovation."So as we head into the holiday season, let's embrace the future with open arms. Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all our readers.Best wishes from Pete and the rest of the team at The Art of Memorialising.We don’t need to wait - yes, the future has arrived.It was yesterday.Thanks for reading The Art of Memorialising! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and the latest news about all things #DeathtechInterested in sharing your new product or service with readers of The Art of Memorialising? (check here)We highlight your product, service, or idea sponsoring an edition. We give you the space; you get to tell the world about what you are doing or have created.You and your business can become part of the adventure now. Secure your month in 2023 now. MM’s (Memorialisation Morsels)* ‘Black Mirror’ in reality: MIT is experimenting with digital immortality. (via -https://gadgettendency.com/) The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launched the Augmented Eternity experiment. According to the researchers, this will allow digital copies to preserve the legacy of the originals and communicate with relatives in the future. Read another account in The Times. MIT Augmented Eternity project creates profiles of people to outlast death.* Digital immorality might keep Elon Musk in command after death. (https://www.bolnews.com/) Scientists intend to utilise artificial intelligence to create “digital immortality,” allowing leaders to remain in command even after they die.* Anticipating the Birth of AI Employee Clones. (via - https://www.datamation.com/) Will we see an AI employee clone who could attend the meetings, respond to generic queries as our proxy?* Avoiding your Ex? They May Still Come Back to Haunt You Through AI. (via -https://www.analyticsinsight.net/) While ethicists and morality watch keepers keep arguing if we need ‘Digital personalities’ at all, AI companies are nimbly working towards developing real-life use cases around the surreal concept.* Digital legacy: The fate of your online soul. (via - https://www.newscientist.com) Hans-Peter Brondmo, head of social software and services at Nokia in San Francisco, calls this collection of data (digital legacy online) our “digital soul”. Tips on how to assemble your own digital legacy. * Intrigued that AI wrote the introduction to this month’s newsletter? Read - AI and I: The Age of Artificial Creativity (via - https://nesslabs.com/) The advent of such powerful AI tools begs the question: what does it mean to be a creator or knowledge worker in the age of artificial creativity?* Augmented Eternity – is digital identity the next longevity? (via - https://longevity.technology/) What if you could select the digital identity of a deceased person from a social network and activate it as a pluggable ontology into your iPhone Siri and ask a question? * What’s Happening at Digilega? (via - https...
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    9 m
  • You’d have thought I would have learnt by now...

    You’d have thought I would have learnt by now...
    Nov 8 2022
    Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing services bringing you the latest news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech. Thanks for reading. You’d have thought I would have learnt by now...I’m in my 60s. I’ve been around the block a few times. There are a lot of things I know - I know.Now, I’m not saying I know it all - far from it! And that’s the problem.I want to know more. I never want to stop learning. Never want to stop growing my skills and knowledge. Oh, and I never want to stop travelling! What about you? Are your learning days done?My curiosity quotient is expanding, not contracting as the years pass. Einstein famously suggested I should never stop questioning. My curiosity cannot help but be in awe when I …‘Consider the mysteries of eternity, the marvellous structure of reality’ ... and how websites, and apps about life curation, memorials and planning your life legacy are growing at speeds faster than Einstein’s speed of light!Ok, exaggeration. But even so, faster than I imaged back in 2016 when I started writing about those subjects. Take, for instance, how Artificial Intelligence is becoming a tool in afterlife memorials and creating your digital twin. Someone who a family can communicate with even after a person has died.I’ve even written about how AI will become part of funerals. Even I didn’t realise how quick it would actually happen!Marina Smith MBE, through the power of holograms and artificial intelligence seems to have a ‘conversation’ with mourners at her funeral using Storyfile. (via BBC). That’s incredible! Just as fascinating as how you can create amazing images with Artificial Intelligence with a few words … But that’s not what I am talking about here. I’ve learned there is something I haven’t yet learned.There is still an important truth I don’t get. I know it’s not it’s not possible, but I still keep on trying. There are lots of things I love to do (walking for miles, playing the guitar, owning a dog, Friday night steak and chips) - Oh, and writing is one of them. I love to write. I write books, like - Gathering Rosebuds In Kerala. But what I do, mainly, is write eulogy speeches for people across the world. Or when working in my local area writing and leading funerals as a celebrant.I write eulogies. That’s what I do. It’s what takes most of my time. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to combine something I love with helping others.I spend most of my days writing about people I have never met. About the way they lived their one and only ‘wild and precious life.’ But sadly life ended. I try to put into words what heartbroken people are feeling, but cannot verbalise. Yes, maybe it’s a rare vocation, but an immensely rewarding writing niche I find. My curiosity itch wants to to learn how to write eulogies even better. I keep scratching that one too.I also want to share my learning as a eulogy speechwriter with others so I’m writing a new book.‘I Just Want To Say A Few Words: The Ultimate Eulogy Toolbox - A Simple and Easy Step-by-Step Guide How To Write A Eulogy for A Loved One, Friend or Colleague.’ Almost 90% of my first draft is completed. It’s going to be around 100 or so pages of the best ideas, methods and ways anyone can use to write a few words of a eulogy. Published, hopefully, before the end of the year.But here I go again. You see ... I haven’t learned what I haven’t learned. Yet. I haven’t learned …. … I just can’t do it all! There is a limit to the amount of work you can do! So I just try to do as much as I can, and then when I’ve done that, I try to do some more. But it leaves me, like last month, not being able to do some things I want to do like write The Art of Memorialising Newsletter. And I’m very sorry about that.I find these subjects piquing my curiosity, so I search the web and share the latest news with you - a subscriber to The Art of Memorialising. If you missed last months newsletter, please email me and tell me. I’d be over the moon if you did. What is the greatest benefit you get from reading the Newsletter or Podcast? Can you email me and let me know please? It’s a great feeling to know that you are doing something you love to do, but you can’t do it all. Sometimes, you need to decide what is important to you and what is not.I’m not afraid to admit I can’t do everything. I just haven’t learned it. Yet.I’m experimenting with the format of the newsletter to change to briefer bullet points like this month? What do you think?The most important thing I need to learn is I can’t do it all - but I’m betting some of you do too? What good things do you need to stop working on so you can focus on the best things? I’d be interested to hear that too!Let’s see what’s been happening in the fascinating world...
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    13 m
  • 'Is There Anybody There?' When the living can speak to the dead, what will they say?

    'Is There Anybody There?' When the living can speak to the dead, what will they say?
    Sep 1 2022
    Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing Services bringing you the latest news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech. Thanks for being here.Sponsoring this edition of The Art of Memorialising is MurialMurial is a startup with a mission to redefine obituaries into beautiful memorial websites. For business owners and professionals in the death care industry, this September, Murial is launching an exclusive new partnership program that offers huge incentives. See if their partnership program naturally fits with your product or service. Details are below.What Will You Find In This Issue?* Speaking to the dead could become a daily conversation for some.* What if charities changed focus in their efforts for ‘in-memory fundraising to the living,’ and not the dead?* When digital legacy planning moves from the realms of purely interest to absolute necessity. Photo by Melinda Gimpel on UnsplashWill bitcoins or your life story be the legacy of greatest value?‘Legacy is not leaving something for people. Legacy is leaving something in people.’ Peter Strople.Being of sound mind, I do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament…And so opens a standard will in the UK. A legal document, expressing your wishes about what you leave behind when your days end. * Your property.* Your cash.* Your collection of vinyls.* Your NFT’s and Bitcoin’s.* Your Candy Crush Saga credits.* Your online betting wins.* Your in-store/online loyalty points.    Have you made a will? Apparently, only 4 in 10 adults have. The pandemic created increased demand for will writing for sure. The wills, trusts and probate market saw significant growth in demand in the last couple of years. Still, many fail to action one simple choice that could save so much worry, and unnecessary problems for their loved ones - by making a will. During the last month, several newsletter sign ups (thank you very much) were from members of organisations providing information and support to charities for ‘in-memory fundraising.’ Helping charities find innovative ways to encourage their supporters to leave a legacy gift to the charity in their will. You know how when you are thinking about buying a red car… you see red cars everywhere? It seems to be the same this month for me but with wills! I’ve seen so many links offering to write a free will for me! The Guide Dogs, British Red Cross, and RSPCA, among them. The Goodwill Partnership and National Free Wills Network provide the legal help to write the wills. I wonder? Are new A.I. innovations opening up opportunities for ‘in-memory fundraising’ through life-curation, rather than death-preparation? Over the last six years, I’ve written and spoke about #digitallegacy. Honestly, mostly those who are in the #digitallegacy industry to some extent, find the subject as interesting as me! Most don’t. And for now, most still don’t. I think it is the same reason why 6 out of 10 adults will die without a will. You have to die. We just don’t want to think about it or talk about. But telling the stories of our life, now, that’s another thing.Increasingly, I’m finding people are more interested in what they can leave behind in the way of a life story as a legacy. Something they can do now, rather than later. There is a growing trend towards life-curation, self remembrance, even memoir writing.For example, Memories to Memoir–An Introduction To Life Writing, is an online course by Derbyshire Writing School. (For full disclosure, my daughter, Laura Stroud, created and leads the course.) While I’m incredibly proud of her endeavours (I’m her dad, of course!), what she is seeing is a consistent growth of people wanting to write their life stories to leave as a legacy. Most courses sell out quickly. Clients come to her for help writing their life story as a memoir. Perhaps it’s more interesting documenting your life - than planning your death - however important and wise that decision affects the future. People are interested in leaving the story of their life for others, just as much as their possessions. After all, it is what lives in their descendants, in their DNA, in their personalities and their memories. They are leaving themselves in those stories.I believe there are enormous opportunities waiting for those organisations who can help people tell the story of their life. No end of innovative apps, software platforms and life curation services to partner with to do that. For example, see how Loom presents this idea to families.Leaving behind the story of your life leaves those you love with an appreciation of their identity, their heritage and self-understanding, and unique family history. Priceless gifts much more than any possessions you value. Who is out there ready to connect the opportunities of need with the solution?...
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    17 m
  • Your Life Is An Epic Story Waiting To Be Told. Will You Tell it?

    Your Life Is An Epic Story Waiting To Be Told. Will You Tell it?
    Aug 1 2022
    Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing services bringing you the latest news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech.Sponsoring this edition is 4everstoryA lifetime comprises a thousand stories. 4everstory is a secure and private digital story platform. 4everstory specialises in capturing digital memories and preserving special moments in a single and secure location. 4everstory encourages sharing and connecting family memories, and life experiences, strengthening family bonds, family traditions, and is a simple way to continue telling life stories.What Will You Find In This Issue?* Telling your life story using the digital heritage app After Cloud.* Bringing artistic design to obituaries is start up Murial* Memorial NFT’s? Remembering our loved ones in the Metaverse.Photo by Etienne Girardet on UnsplashYour Life Is An Epic Story Waiting To Be Told. Will You Tell it?Once upon a time …‘He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish.’ ( The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway)‘In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.’ (The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald)How would you write the first line of your life story?A good life story captivates heart and mind. Stories inspire us. Encourage us. Make us laugh and cry. Stories make sense of life when everything is senseless.Gripping, captivating and memorable stories, says author Donald Miller, are about, ‘A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it.’Is that you? Is your life is an epic story waiting to be told? Now, more than ever, telling it is in the palm of your hand. It’s challenging and demanding to write our life story. I know. I just published a memoir. Documenting lives for eternity - our digital heritage - is available with the click of a thumb. But will people write it? What Is The Shape of Your Life Story?Famous storyteller, Kurt Vonnegut, pens quirky, complex books. He believes stories have shapes. Especially life stories. He suggests the basic structure of all stories come down to eight story shapes. This infographic explains them all. As a eulogy writer, I often see and use the ‘Man In A Hole’ and ‘Redemptive’ epic story shape. The ‘Man In A Hole’ story need not be about a man or a hole! It is a story of someone who gets into trouble and gets out of it again. The story has a happy-sad-happy trajectory. Many identify with the ‘Redemptive Story.’ The story shape starts off bad then ends good. Another life story shape coined by Joseph Campbell is ‘The Hero's Journey.’ This story involves a normal person who goes on an epic adventure, hits a pivotal crisis, wins a victory, and then comes home changed. Which is your life story shape?Digital legacy platforms enable the telling of life stories. But will they be told? After seeing too many ‘Dear Dad’ or ‘Dear Mum’ life story journals empty, I’m not convinced writing your life story online will happen for many.Unless … Unless an army of story tellers could help write those stories? Now, maybe there’s an opportunity for the future? And they all lived happily after after …Startup Spotlights - AfterCloud.co.uk and Murial.LifeAfterCloud.co.ukWe profiled After Cloud in August 2021. What a difference a year can make committed to a vision of building tools for digital heritage. After Cloud celebrates and shares individual life moments. Helps to tell our unique life story preserving our family history.Approved by ORCHA (Organisation for the Review of Health and Care Apps) and part of the UK’s NHS (National Health Service) digital app library, After Cloud is being used and adapted in many care situations.Moments enables you to record and store important daily thoughts and precious memories. Perhaps as a daily journal to share stories with your loved ones privately and securely, now or after you have died. Timelines - is to record your life events, so future generations can see and hear all the really important moments in your words. Timelines is also an app to assist with life story work in aged care settings and people living with dementia.You can sign up for Moments or Timelines here.Murial.LifeChatting this month with Gary Kisela, the founder and CEO of Murial, it was intriguing to learn of his desire not only to create a platform for telling and preserving life stories, but to do it with excellent design and creativity.When an entrepreneur experiences the loss of a loved one and finds the marketplace lacking, need and vision come together. This was the case with Gary. Disillusioned and unimpressed with the blandness of many obituary platforms, he is setting out to turn Murial into the best space to help people express ...
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    19 m
  • Who Wants To Live Forever?

    Who Wants To Live Forever?
    Jul 6 2022
    How will you stay informed about digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation, and all things #Deathtech?Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing services.The Art of Memorialising brings you the latest news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech.Thanks for being here.Sponsoring this edition of The Art of Memorialising is 4everstoryA lifetime comprises a thousand stories. 4everstory is a secure and private digital story platform. 4everstory specialises in capturing digital memories and preserving special moments in a single and secure location. 4everstory encourages sharing and connecting family memories, strengthening family bonds, and family traditions. It is a simple way to continue telling life stories.What Will You Find In This Issue?* Happy Birthday to The Art of Memorialising!* 16 reasons #Digital Legacy Has Come of Age In Last 12 Months* How you can ask ‘Alexa’ to get grandad to sing his favourite song!Photo by Adi Goldstein on UnsplashHappy Birthday To Me! Well, to the newsletter, anyway! This edition marks one year of The Art of Memorialising. Twelve months of asking, how will we choose to live forever online? The actor Jeremy Irons wrote in his memoirs, ‘Our afterlife is what we leave behind in other people.’ Of course, that is true. But we can’t ignore what we leave behind online. Traces of our online lives will continue on long after we have died. Thank you for the feedback, encouragement and comments I have received. It lets me know you find the subject of #Deathtech as fascinating as I do. Over the last year I’ve reviewed many new ideas for how you can curate, store and tell the story of your life online. Started as a newsletter, back in December I added the option to listen via podcast to each episode. Here are some links to the main platforms where you can find the podcast.* Spotify * Amazon Music * Apple PodcastsWhat has been exciting for me to see is the creativity, innovation and breadth of ways #Deathtech is developing. Above all, seeing how AI can ‘keep alive’ those we love has been the most fascinating. Yes, some ideas seem spooky and weird to me too! As the mainstream catches up with the culture of change, new ideas appear and some will fall by the wayside, but one thing is for sure, in the next 12 months the pace will only speed up! Startup SpotlightsWant to check out some Startups profiled? June - Webacy & Chronicle February - Timecapzle and Legacy Stories December - Vocapsule and Re-cordisNovember - Mind Bank AI & Hearafter AIOctober - Live Will & LanternSeptember - Whiteballoon & Shared AffairsAugust - After Cloud & CakeJuly - GoodTrust & MemoriesHeard of a startup in digital life curation or #Deathtech?Please let me know. Email info@deathgoesdigital.comSponsored Product or Service - 4everstoryThere is nothing worse than an untold family story lost forever. We forget valuable old photographs and family movies stored away in boxes. Memories fade. Every year, thousands of digital images and videos stored on smart phones are accidentally deleted or misplaced. Increasingly, family history is lost because family stories are no longer shared. Parents or grandparents are no longer here to tell their stories. So what is the solution?John Withers, the Australian founder of 4everstory, has announced that its secure and private web-based digital story platform is now available.As life becomes increasingly complex and digital, so has the interest to create unique permanent online spaces. Now it is easy to create tribute experiences rich in mixed media content. These can be collectively shared with family and friends anywhere in the world to create a wider sense of connection. 4everstory creates lasting, meaningful, and dynamic digital narratives that connect lives today and tomorrow.John Withers and Martin Christmas are IT technologists who work to make digital experiences more personal and emotional. John and Martin passionately believe that everyone has a story to share, and created this product to honour and cherish the lives of their loved ones.Interested in sharing your new product or service with readers of The Art of Memorialising? (check here) We highlight your product, service, or idea sponsoring an edition. We give you the space; you get to tell the world about what you are doing or have created.You and your business can become part of the adventure now. Secure your month in 2022/23 now. MM’s (Memorialisation Morsels) 5 meaty bites of news for YOU to stay ahead of the conversation on Digital Legacy, Digital Life Curation & all things #Deathtech.1 - Will We Fear Death Less In The Future Metaverse?How Will Death Exist in the Metaverse and Web3? (Via Psychology Today) is worth a read on the question of how digital technology could help in dealing with ...
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    13 m
  • Is Direct Cremation Disrupting The Legacy of Traditional Funerals in the UK Forever?

    Is Direct Cremation Disrupting The Legacy of Traditional Funerals in the UK Forever?
    Jun 11 2022
    How will you stay informed about digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation, and all things #Deathtech?Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing services.The Art of Memorialising brings you the latest news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech.Thanks for being here.What Will You Find In This Issue?* The 10 Best Ways To Die.* Fed up with playing Monopoly? Try ‘The Death Convo Game’ instead! * Do You Fancy Living Eternally In The Metaverse On Your Own Planet?* Start up spotlights on Webacy and Chronicle.Photo by Ross Findon on UnsplashIs Direct Cremation Disrupting The Legacy of Traditional Funerals in the UK Forever?Transformational change is coming to the funeral industry in the UK, and fast. Will other countries follow funeral trends disrupting the UK marketplace? Are they already? Will this pace of change increase as families choose personalisation over tradition? How could this impact you as a traditional funeral director or funeral home? Let’s dig a big deeper and see.Funerals have changed little in centuries. The traditional format of black frock coats, black hearse, and funeral services matching the same format and even the same words (insert name here) from the Book of Common Prayer has seemed the only option. But a secularised society saw the move away from churches and burials, to crematoriums and cremations. Yet for a time, the traditional funeral service stayed, but not so these days. The times have changed forever. How, you might ask?Back in 2015, Bryan Powell, a Funeral Director, and his wife Catherine, decided the funeral market was looking for something new, something that could suit the demand for personalisation and choice. Yes, price too was a factor. The increase in the cost of funerals in an unregulated industry was an issue for many families. So together they launched Pure Cremation with a plan to disrupt the industry. They certainly succeed. Synonymous with the word ‘vacuum’ is Hoover. We use the one for the other so much it’s become part of the vocabulary of life. In the UK today, it is the same with Pure Cremation and direct cremation. Let me explain. Direct cremation is, in the most part, an unattended cremation. This leaves the family of the loved one with perhaps the option to arrange a memorial service at a favourite woods, a beach, even the golf club where they spent so many happy hours.Families in the UK are contacting funeral directors asking, ‘Do you do Pure Cremations?’ Mainly because of the multi-million advertising budgets Pure Cremation successfully spends in daytime TV and magazine advertising. One national Independent Funeral Directors Association suggests many consumers do not think Independent Funeral Directors even conduct direct/unattended cremations, and 77% of customers don’t contact them to even ask! Going to online suppliers instead.That’s worrying for lots of traditional funeral directors who may see future business disappearing online.Around 1 in 5 funerals, choose direct cremation. Partly because of the pandemic, 2021 saw a dramatic increase in the choice of a direct cremation. ‘And among those who organised a funeral in the last 18 months (during the pandemic), 24% described the funeral as a direct cremation.’ (From Cost of dying Report 2022 - Sun Life)They predicted the market for direct cremation to become a growing trend of UK's funeral choice. The ripples of that change will have significant impact for the industry changing it forever.Of course, there will always be the demand for a traditional funeral. They can be a beautiful way to remember and celebrate the life of a loved one. But change, and that change digital, and online, is coming fast. This opens tremendous opportunities for those in the end-of-life marketplace who can adapt and change. Hold on… change is coming - fast! But how does your end-of-life business need to respond?Startup SpotlightsWebacy - helps you protect your crypto assets and social media accounts.It’s a similar story and a familiar journey for many entrepreneurs facing personal loss. Maika Isogawa, founder and CEO of Webacy, looked for a better solution to the challenges he experienced when a member of his family passed away. Facing the complexity of digital legacy planning with multiple social media accounts and crypto assets, Webacy simplifies the process. What does Webacy offer?* Deletion of your social media accounts on death. (If that is your choice.)* Memorialising your accounts, even posting time sequenced content online after your death.* Transferring crypto assets to those nominated. * Creating a ‘Shoebox’ - a place to store your memories (photos and videos) and thoughts for your generations who follow. * DeathNotify™ - the simplest and most straightforward way to notify a death.Chronicle - Digital Cemetery Management...
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    18 m
  • How To Keep Telling Your Life Story Even After It Ends

    How To Keep Telling Your Life Story Even After It Ends
    May 5 2022
    What can you do to stay informed about digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation, and all things #Deathtech?Being ahead in this changing marketplace and cultural transformation could help you spot trends and find opportunities to promote and grow your end-of-life or funeral business.Welcome to The Art of Memorialising - an audio newsletter by Peter Billingham from Death Goes Digital and Memorable Words Eulogy Writing services.The Art of Memorialising curates news on digital immortality, digital legacy, digital life curation and all things #Deathtech.Thanks for being here.What Will You Find In This Issue?* How ‘Digital Heritage’ storytelling keeps our lost loved one close.* When technology and entertainment collide, do you get - ‘Upload?’* How using 30 4K cameras could immortalise your grandpa. Photo by Jessica Lewis on UnsplashAnd They All Lived Happily Ever After In Virtual Reality. Or Did They?‘In the end, we’ll all become stories.’ Margaret Atwood.Once upon a time. That’s how most stories start.And they all lived happily ever after. Perhaps they don’t always end that way. Margaret Atwood was spot on - we all become a story someone will tell. Increasingly, however, there will be a choice for who tells the tale of a life. Let me explain. In this edition of The Art of Memorialising, we look at how telling the story of your life as you live it, and after you have died, is undergoing transformational change. Why?The rise of AI avatars will allow you to see your grandparents, parents and other loved ones telling their own life stories long after they have died, speaking directly to you through VR immersive experiences. Imagine now being able to ‘see and hear’ your grandpa walking around the towns he lived in, the places he went on holiday and locations where he worked? Hear him say, ‘Come with me. Let me show you where your grandpa proposed to your grandma!’The transformational change in creating personal biographies and memoirs will keep our loved ones and their memories alive in ways we haven’t experienced before. But is a good thing? Is the adage of, ‘A time to be born and a time to die’ no longer needed? Will your dwelling in digital immortality be helpful to those still mortally alive? I started Death Goes Digital in 2016. Then discussions and thoughts of ‘Digital Legacy’ focused on, ‘What happens to your Facebook account after you die?’ The concerns mainly on what will happen to the online traces of your life, your bank accounts and social media profiles, etc., after death. That hasn’t changed, but there is now much more. While protecting our digital estate when we are dead is important, what is far more fascinating is what is revolutionising culture around biography and memoir writing. How we can choose to tell and remember the story of our lives while we are living? So what’s happening?I see developing the growth of a ‘digital heritage.’ It’s a term being used in Japan. I like it more than, ‘Are you protecting your digital assets when you’re dead?’ A ‘Digital Heritage’ sounds creative, proactive and inspiring choices to leave more than just the password of mobile phone behind. Writing several eulogies each week constantly reminds me life ends often before it gets to the ‘happily ever after’ part. Yet, each life is full of special moments, sometimes missed, often forgotten. Remembering to gather and record those special elements of the story of a life inspired me to write the book - Gathering Rosebuds In Kerala. Published this month, my book is a memoir about a birthday trip I took to India. But more than that, it’s a reflection on ageing, and how we might remember the story of our life. A workbook for noticing and capturing those special moments in life and storing them forever. What will be the story you tell about your life? Who and how will that story be told in the generations to come? Will it be you as a 3D hologram, an AI avatar, or even a ‘Versona?’ Read on, see what you think, and let me know. I’d love to hear what you think. Please let me know. Email info@deathgoesdigital.comStartup SpotlightsHeard of a startup in digital life curation or #Deathtech?Please let me know. Email info@deathgoesdigital.comMM’s (Memorialisation Morsels) 5 meaty bites of news for YOU to stay ahead of the conversation on Digital Legacy, Digital Life Curation & all things #Deathtech.1 - Will Cybernetic Immortality Lead To Living Happily Ever After?Science fiction becoming reality is not a surprise. Tasers, defibrillators, mobile phones, and 3D holograms captured our curiosity in books, films and tv long before they became commonplace in culture. When developing science and technology becomes entertainment, it gives us clues for forecasting the future. Could ‘Upload,’ the new Amazon Prime series, be such an example? Set in 2033, Nathan Brown, a computer programmer, dies when his self-driving car ...
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