A Different Kind of Mirror: Using Words to Create an Inner Self-Portrait
Let’s take a look in that mirror, shall we?
I want to start this week with a quick word about the timer. If your 10 minute timer is working for you, feel free to continue that for the duration of the course. You may find that there are days that you prefer not to time yourself or to write longer than 10 minutes. I may reference setting a timer here and there on the writing prompts, but know that this is always optional. Do what works for you!
Now let’s jump into our first writing prompt for Week 2!
Day 1: I Am…
Today, you are going to make some lists all about you. I encourage you to write ideas that come to you, even if they feel like small details. There is no wrong answer when you are writing in your journal. Fill in these lists with details from your innermost.
I Am…
I Believe…
I Hope…
I Think…
I Feel…
I Long For…
Day 2: Books of My Life
Today, I want you to make a chronological list of the books that have influenced your life. Start back as early as you can remember, and make a list of every book you remember reading in your life. Feel free to make a special marking for the books that have impacted you the most. (Underline, circle, star, heart, etc…)
Day 3: ABC’s On My Mind
Today, I want you to go down the side of the page and write your ABC’s. Set the timer, and go down the list, assigning one word per letter of things on your mind. These can be big things or little things. You are going to be playfully digging around for a word that surfaces for each letter of the alphabet. Remember to lean into your intuition, and have fun with this prompt!
Day 4: Word-Timeline of Your Life
Today you are going to make a timeline of your life. Draw a straight line across your paper (or a two-page spread, if you prefer). Mark it off every inch or so and label the years. (I mark mine off by 5’s, so I have age 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35.) Now go through and give each marked year a word that will best sum up that season of your life. Feel free to add more years or tweak the dates. This exercise is just an opportunity to look back over the years of your life and name some seasons with words.
Day 5: People Who Have Influenced My Life For Good, A Chronology
Today you are going to make another chronological list. I want you to think back as far as you can remember, and make a list of all the people who have influenced your life for good. This can be people you have known, or it can be a combination of known people and people who have influenced you from afar. (Think authors, musicians, artists, speakers, etc.)
Day 6: How Is Your Life Different Than You Imagined It To Be?
Today I want you to think back about how you imagined your future self when you were younger. Write about who you thought you would be and who you have become. Lean into your intuition, and let these thoughts carry you to a new place of understanding who you see in the mirror of your journal.