In this short essay in Aeon Magazine To Boost Your Self Esteem, Write about Chapters of Your Life (republished in The Big Think) writer Christian Jarret discusses how writing memoir can offer a means to improving self-esteem. By writing down stories about our lives, we take ownership of our past experiences and reflect on ways we might cultivate a better personal future. We also, by connecting the dots between events that seem disparate, are able to gain a sense of sustained continuity.
Despite changes that life inevitably brings, how have we been ourselves all along?
Of particular use for this class is an assignment Jarret mentions, the life chapter exercise. By writing even briefly about four chapters of your life and understanding how they connect to where you are now, we gain a sense of sustainability and control over our lives. Another important part of this exercise is to consider how each chapter relates to your life as a whole, and to think about any causes and effects the particular chapter of focus brings up for you.
Another short essay on this same topic is Why is Memoir Writing Transformative? by Diana Raab on Psychology Today. This article discusses how: “. . . during the writing process, we’re moving our feelings from inside of us and onto the page; and like therapy, it can help us work through our challenges. Writing can also be transformative because it helps us gain a better understanding of ourselves. With that understanding comes deeper reflection and consequently, a more profound sense of harmony.”
As you read and think about these issues, consider why you tell stories about events that happen to you. When do you do this via text or email or Instagram or facebook posts? What moves you to write something down? Is it when something funny or unusual happens to you? Is it when something transformative happens. And…this is the part that requires reflection–what does the process of writing the experience down reveal about yourself? Do you somehow take ownership of the story in a way you might not have before writing or recording the event?