Stories are the means we have to make sense of events in our lives. By weaving the chosen events into a narrative, we create understanding and meaning. Journaling is one important tool to give us control over our story. Through the act of recording our lives day by day, we can build our own story, empowering us as meaning makers of our lives.

Some stories are drawn from those told by our larger cultural setting. The Hero's Journey, a common format for adventure stories in books and movies, is one example. Positive and negative stories told about people of certain genders, orientations, races, nationalities, etc. are another set that we may not even realize we are using as we make sense of the world. Because of the profound impact of stories on our understandings, it is important for us to think about and evaluate what narratives we are using.

Above is a presentation that I put together for students to explore alternative journaling formats for travel, including bullet journaling and the art journaling, such as the hobonichi techo.