About Amy Riordan
About Amy Riordan
“Give yourself credit for everything you’ve overcome that you never thought you would, and everything you’ve built that you never thought you could. You’ve come so much farther that you think, and you’re so much closer than you realize.”
―
“Give yourself credit for everything you’ve overcome that you never thought you would, and everything you’ve built that you never thought you could. You’ve come so much farther that you think, and you’re so much closer than you realize.”
―
Hey, I'm Amy Riordan: writer, speaker, and legacy architect. I live in North Idaho with my husband Tim, our two kids, Cooper and Madison, and our chocolate lab/pit, Penny.
I help women gain clarity, confidence, self-worth and purpose by documenting their lives.
I've been documenting my life privately since the first grade and sharing it publicly since 2010. Over the past sixteen years, I've published hundreds of blog posts, created guided journals, documented family stories, and explored one question that continues to shape everything I do:
How does documenting our lives change the people we become?
I believe the answer is simple. Documentation isn't just about preserving memories. It's one of the most powerful tools we have for becoming who we're meant to be.
In November of 2007, I created the first iteration of my bucket list.
At the time, I thought I was simply making a list of adventures I hoped to have someday. Looking back, I came to realize it was the beginning of something much bigger. Who knew a little red notebook would start a lifelong personal movement that allowed me to more gracefully navigate every rough milestone ahead.
Less then three years later, in 2010, I started blogging. What began as a creative outlet slowly became a place to process life's biggest questions, celebrate milestones, navigate setbacks, and better understand myself through writing.
Over the years, that practice has become the foundation for everything I create.
Each project has reinforced the same belief: The simple act of documenting our lives changes how we experience them.
When most people think about documentation, they think about preserving the past. I think about becoming.
Long before I created journals or shared my writing online, documenting my own life quietly shaped who I was becoming. It helped me recognize unhealthy patterns, celebrate progress I would have otherwise forgotten, build confidence through evidence instead of emotion, and create a life that felt increasingly intentional.
My blog has influenced major decisions. My journals have helped me notice recurring themes. My photographs have preserved moments that would have otherwise disappeared. All of this became a part of my professional life in ways I never could have expected. For years, I worked as a photographer, documenting families, milestones, and ordinary moments people wanted to remember.
Looking back through old posts and images consistently remind me of prayers that were answered, dreams that came true, and challenges I survived.
Documentation has never simply recorded my life, it has helped create it.
My Areas of Focus
I regularly write about:
- Documentation
- Journaling
- Personal Growth
- Self-Awareness
- Confidence
- Legacy
- Motherhood
- Family History
- Intentional Living
We live during one of the most documented periods in human history.
Every day we take photographs, send text messages, record videos, write social media posts, and capture countless moments without realizing we're leaving behind a remarkable record of our lives. But, documentation becomes even more powerful when it's intentional.
When we pause to ask better questions, reflect on our experiences, and preserve the lessons we don't want to forget, we begin to understand ourselves differently.
That's the work I care about most. I don't believe that everyone needs to keep a journal, but I do believe everyone deserves the opportunity to know themselves more deeply, preserve the people they love, and ultimately leave something meaningful behind.
Documentation isn’t about preserving memories. It’s about becoming who you’re meant to be.
Some of the most meaningful work I've ever done has happened outside of traditional blogging.
In 2020, I documented the processes of a local mill before also documenting its demolition in 2021, preserving a small piece of local history.
Also in 2021, I recorded a three-hour legacy interview with my grandparents. Hearing them reflect on their childhoods, marriage, hardships, and happiest memories has become one of the greatest gifts I ever could have created, for myself and for my family.
In 2024, I launched the Creating Me Legacy Journal Series, a growing series of guided journals designed to help people intentionally document their own lives.
Although each project looked different on the surface, they all shared the same purpose: they help people recognize that ordinary lives are worth remembering.
By The Numbers
2007: The year I created my bucket list.
2010: The year I began sharing my life publicly through blogging.
2021: The legacy video interview with my grandparents.
2024: The creation of The Creating Me Legacy Journal Series.
One Philosophy: Documentation isn't about preserving memories. It's about becoming who you're meant to be.
Whether you're here because you're searching for journal prompts, looking for a meaningful legacy project, trying to build confidence, or simply hoping to become more intentional with your own life, I'm so excited you're here.
My hope is that this website becomes a place where you feel inspired to slow down, notice the beauty in ordinary moments, and realize that your story matters far more than you think it does.
Because documentation isn't about preserving memories, it's about becoming who you're meant to be.
See you,
