the flowers we give
weekly story work exercise
If you’re new here, Story Work is the name of my current book-in-progress. It describes a process of reflecting, reclaiming, and reimagining the stories of our lives. It involves looking at your life experiences as creative material that you have the power to shape.
The weekly story work topics cover universal life themes with references from literature, philosophy, science, and spirituality; offering perspectives that spark ideas for personal growth and creative expression.
Paid subscribers receive Story Work exercises every Sunday night at 8 pm et.
Hi everyone,
This will be the most intense writing year of my life so far, that’s for sure. I’m writing and writing and writing, and taking breaks and writing some more. I’m missing social gatherings and managing my professional commitments (with boundaries that I’ve worked hard to set for myself) and I’m slowly but steadily making progress on my manuscript, due in November.
There was a time when I hardcore believed that I was incapable of doing this. That I’d never be able to finish a full-length book, and if I did, I wouldn’t be able to manage other jobs and projects at the same time. It was a deep down, shadowy belief that I didn’t like to admit to myself. A belief that I am debunking each day as I move forward through this process.
This August through October, I’ll be facilitating a small group coaching cohort for writers and creatives who want to build purpose-driven platforms for their work with their words and stories. If that sounds like you, you can sign up here to be notified when this offering opens.
Before we get into this week’s exercise, I want to remind you that there’s almost a year’s worth of my early story work exercises open to all subscribers until the end of July. It’s a treasure trove of exercises for anyone interested in journaling for self-discovery and exploration. You can dig in and explore here.
If you’re looking for the July prompts, they will be sent in a separate post tomorrow.
Okay. Let’s get into this week’s story work exercise.
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“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”– Frances Hodgson Burnett
the flowers we give
If you’re just joining us, this week we are continuing with the Tree of Life exercise, a narrative therapy exercise created by David Denborough. Also known as the Memory Tree Exercise, it’s a visual metaphor representing life and the various elements that connect a person’s past, present, and future. So far we have done roots and grass, trunks and branches, and leaves and fruits. You can find the starting instructions here.
We’re taking this exercise step-by-step, journaling about the stories that come up as we go.
This week, our focus is on the flowers that grow from our trees.
The flowers represent the gifts and legacies that you have given to others. What positive impact have you had on the people you’ve touched, and for the present and future, what impact do you want to have? What offerings do you want to give and to whom?
As you reflect on this, look at your tree and see the connections between the influences of your roots, the values and gifts from your trunk, the hopes and dreams in your branches. Think about the people who could benefit from hearing your story or getting a taste of your wisdom.
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Mental Health Note: Keep in mind that this is a creative exercise that may bring up painful memories and feelings. Check in with yourself as you proceed and seek professional help or support from loved ones as needed.
Exercise:
Journal to explore the connections between the sections we’ve done so far. The following questions are focused on this week’s elements:
What flowers/gifts (tangible and intangible) have you given to important people in your life as well as strangers?
What led you to give them these flowers?
What do you think you contributed to their lives?
What flowers or gifts do you want to give that you haven’t and why?
Take your answers and write a story or memory about giving flowers to someone and why it was meaningful to you.