Most of us don’t think of ourselves as heroines. Even if our friends tell us we are heroes we are often too busy living our lives, to let that sink in. Too distracted by the next thing we need to do to reflect much on the strengths we have cultivated to overcome many obstacles in our lives.
In fact, I would say on most days we feel tossed around by life rather than finding any message or purpose to it.
But, I believe that we are all on a heroine’s journey, (or heroes) no matter how great, no matter how ordinary, and no matter how humble.
This idea of the hero’s journey was popularized by academic Joseph Campbell’s mythology book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. ( remember his talks were featured on PBS when they did their fundraising events?)
Basically, Joe said there are three stages of the hero’s journey:
1) The Departure Act: the Heroine leaves their home ( or town, or country, marriage etc) They may leave because of something they wanted to do, or maybe from circumstances outside their control. But they are at a crossroads and needed to move forward.
2)The Initiation Act: the Hero ventures into unknown territory (the “Special World”) and overcomes challenges and tribulations.
3) The Return Act: the Hero returns in triumph. Or at least changed.
These three stages happen over and over in our lives.
We get forced into something new, work hard to make it work, fall down and fail and then we come out different than we went in.
Often though we focus on what we did wrong rather than the strengths it took to go on that journey in the first place.
The Heroines’ journey is the theme of my next 4 weeks of memoir class beginning on April 16. ( see below) and many of the exercises will get us in touch with the big-picture moments of our lives.
You may or may not be a writer, but either way, I thought I’d share with you a fun idea to play around with.
It’s from one of the exercises I do in my class.
Close your eyes for a minute, and fast forward to the end of your life.
You are dead. You’ve bought the farm. A Goner. Now write your own obit.
It doesn’t have to be a real one you’d want for a funeral home.
No really write it as if you were a real heroine. I’m talking about a Marvel Universe franchise heroine.
Have a little fun.
Just jot down the good things you would want people to say about you, the battles you fought, won and lost. What hero-like qualities did you need to keep going?
The point is to focus on your physical, emotional, and spiritual strengths.
Or just have some fun and even laugh and give yourself a humorous heroine name.
What would yours be?
Why do such an exercise?
Isn’t this an exercise in self-centeredness?
Well, some days it’s good to take stock and own all the superpowers you have cultivated over the years. As a mom, a daughter, a friend, a worker, a community activist, and a world traveller.
Owning our superpowers isn’t always easy, especially if you are a woman. I have found that most women who take my memoir class cannot put their own journey into the stories they want to write. They know what happened, the facts, and the plot, but not where they were in their own story. Or what that event did to them. This is a part of our conditioning as women to always be focused on others, but as writers of memoirs you have to include yourself. And it might even be a great idea to own your heroic qualities. How you’ve utilized those qualities over and over again in life.
Please share with me if you feel like it!
Sundays Writing Classes: Online
April 16 to May 09, 2023. 10-12:15 pm Zoom.
What Did You Do When you were at a Crossroad?
Learning the structure of your heroine’s journey. Who were your helpers that helped motivate you?
Agenda: Writing exercises, group support, coaching from me, reading the work and a lot of laughs as we tease out the stories of your life.
224.00 plus HST e-transfer to debkimmmett@gmail.com
UPCOMING SHOWS W /KIM POLLARD
Belleville San Souci April 20th. Tickets are going like hotcakes.
Tamworth Sold out on April 22
Stratford The Revival House. Thursday, April 27 ( Selling fast)
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