The Benefits of Life Story Writing

Life Story Writing is a form of memoir writing. There are too many benefits to fit into one blog post. As reported in Psychology Today, research shows that even brief autobiographical storytelling exercises can have substantial impacts on psychological and physical health even months after the storytelling. The two angles to focus on here are the internal benefits and external benefits; from the perspective of the writer and from the perspective of the recipient of the writing. Several references to selected research are included in this blog post. 

Proven by research, there are many benefits of writing life stories for the writer. Besides the obvious benefit of preserving memories, writers who invest in the experience of expressive writing can see gains in their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral health especially if their writing is shared in real-time. Shared experiences and connectedness are innate to human nature. The sharing aspect of Guided Autobiography (GAB), the format used in my life writing classes, is transformative and empowering to the writer who shares with the same small group over several sessions. According to Rappaport (1995), "listening to people's stories and creating settings that value and support their narratives should be considered as an 'empowering activity'." 

Life Story Writers: Steve, Karen, George, and Sal

Two self benefits of life writing are improved self-concept and increased self-awareness. Carmen Nigro, in an article she wrote in 2015 for the New York Public Library, connects personal history with putting perspective and purpose in one's life. "You begin to understand yourself better than you ever have.”  There is a reflective aspect to life writing often with a strong focus on personal perspective.  Camille Geraci, a life writer from one of my recent courses, came to understand the meaning and value of her chosen life's work as she weighed the expectations her father had for her:  

I realized, my life’s work was not to be among high fashion elite teams of people in NYC watching my designs grace the runway. I now actually think I would’ve hated that world. But instead, I believe my life’s purpose is to inspire others. Not just to inspire people to make, but to inspire people to pursue their passions no matter what they are.

Besides leaving a legacy for current and future generations, what value does writing one's life story have to others?  Harvard Medical School released a report about the cognitive benefits of writing your life story. The report also spoke to the impact life stories have on future generations:  "Sure, you'd like to leave behind money or personal items to your grandchildren, family, and friends, but the gift that literally can last forever is your personal history. Besides sharing your stories, your memoirs can be an opportunity to pass along specific wisdom and life lessons." And, as expressed by Deborah Wilbrink at Perfect Memoirs, preserving your life story leaves a meaningful legacy that provides intergenerational connectedness. An obvious point but it is easier to be inspired by your grandfather's story when that story has been told, recorded, and shared.

Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of writing and sharing one's life story is that it helps the writer to find meaning and the reader to find wisdom. Based on research done by Jerome Bruner (1991), he has the view that "the narrative mode of thinking is a fundamental tool of human meaning-making". Stories provide reflection but also inspire others! 

My First LIFE STORY WRITING Class

Based on the theory and practical applications of Dr. James Birren's Guided Autobiography, I recently completed leading and facilitating my first Life Story Writing class in the Community Education program at the College of San Mateo. And what a joyful experience it was - a great beginning to what I hope will be a regular class offering of mine. 

Who says the fun of Show and Tell is limited to primary school children? In one of our classes, each student from the class brought in a special object that was in some way related to their life story. Can you tell what the object is in the picture to the left? (answer at the end of this post)

The Show and Tell activity was just one of the many exercises done in class to help students jog their memories of meaningful experiences that could become writing topics for their life stories. Each week, a different theme is presented and students are given sensitizing questions as writing prompts, if needed, to get them going. With the theme of Career and Work, one of the sensitizing questions is: what events or persons influenced your path?

Other life artifacts shared in class.

There is real-time value for individuals to write their life stories. On day one, students were asked what motivation they had to take the class.  Mike said that he wanted to write about his life and in the process reveal some underlying themes of meaning. Meaning is really a key point about autobiography writing and the end result provides benefits not only for the family one leaves behind but also for the writer himself or herself in the present day. Julie Beck, a writer for The Atlantic refers to the value of life story writing in this way: “A life story doesn’t just say what happened, it says why it was important, what it means for who the person is, for who they’ll become, and for what happens next.” 

The basic components of James Birren's format are the creation of stories using themes and sensitizing questions, and sharing those stories each week in a friendly, supportive, social small group setting. As the weeks go on, there is a definite bonding experience that occurs as the writers get to know one another more and more on a personal level. In the closing comments from the class evaluations, almost every student made a comment about the importance of sharing. One student said that the folks in the class became like an extended family.

A culminated experience on the last day of the class was a shared potluck. Good food and great people! 

Answer to the photo puzzle: The object shown above is a toaster brought into class by Steve. He offers this description: I lived in a Ranger residence without electricity or telephone for 13 years, and my nearest year-round neighbor was six miles away. The bread was heated on top of a propane burner or on top of a wood cookstove.

There is no better time than now to start writing your life story! Soon, I will be offering this class to an online audience. Please contact me at the email provided below for details.

Note: Anita Reyes, my mentor, was a colleague and friend of the late Dr. James Birren. She was very supportive to me in getting my first class up and running.

References:

1. More information on Dr. James Birren and GAB:  http://guidedautobiography.com/

2. Source of Julie Beck's quote:  https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/life-stories-narrative-psychology-redemption-mental-health/400796/

3. Anita Reye's website for teaching GAB instructors: http://learnonlineacademy.com/gabtraining-2/

4. Craig's contact email:  sharinglegacies@gmail.com