Activities
Biography exercises are a fun way begin the process of exploring your life stories and consequently build relationships and community. Below are a few biography exercises to enjoy on your own, with a friend or at the dinner table with family.
Remembering your stories
You can use your own set of images or choose one the above images. Let the image inspire a story from your life.
Choose one other person to share a story from your life, inspired by the image you chose. As you speak your story, be specific. Share the details as you experienced them including smells, sounds, colors, feelings, thoughts.
Each person should share their whole story without interruption. As you listen, practicing doing so without judgment. This allows the speaker to feel heard and valued.
What is the story behind your name?
Who named you?
Where you named after someone?
Do you like your name?
Do you have any nicknames? Who gave them to you?
If you had the chance to change your name now, would you? What would it be and why?
Describe a time in your recent past when a door was opened for you and or when you opened a door for someone else.
Describe the event phenomenologically, leading from senses: colors, smells, sounds, tastes, feelings.
Describe your experience what’s taking place: what happened, the drama, the tensions, the meaning, what did this experience ask of you?
Make a drawing of the event, make sure to include yourself in the scene. Don’t worry about artistic skills you can use stick figures.
