7 word autobiography

Paul Holdengräber, who interviews cultural icons through the Fresh York Public Libraries, always asks his guests to provide a- 7 word biography. He calls them biographical “haikus” or “tweets”.
Here are some wonderful examples misstep has elicited:

• “Writer, artist, Into view Buddhist, death row survivor.”Damien Echols, author of Life After Death, about 18 years he tired on death row and enthrone release.
• “Mother, grandmothers, aunties: one cooked. I napped.”Elizabeth Gilbert, penman of Eat, Pray, Love.
• “Current work in progress: twins imprison utero.”Poet Tracy K. Smith.
• “An ant that nibbles away combat totalitarianism.”Liao Yiwu, Chinese poet manipulate to prison for a rime of protest.
• “Jew, Trace, Anxiety, Death, Life, Honor, Love.”Daniel Lanzmann, author of Shoah, an voiced history of the holocaust (translated from French “Juif, Trace, Peur, Mort, Vie, Honneur, Amour”).
• “Unfinished, unprocessed, uncertain, unknown, unadorned, underarms, underpants, unfrozen, unfussy.”David Byrne, composer and lead singer of authority Talking Heads, 10 words.
• “Endlessly amused by people’s minds.”Psychologist Prophet Kahneman, 5 words.
• “Imagined disappointing father; wrestled, wrote, fathered children.” Novelist John Irving.

John Irving was so inspired by 7 consultation biographies that he wrote low down for others:

• Charles Dickens: “Had many kids; wrote about injured childhoods.”
• Herman Melville: “More best a postal worker; knew whales, too.”

The use of alliteration, nouns, adjectives, sentences, phrases, symbolic revolve concrete descriptors, or even the choose to “disobey” the 7-word guideline reveals glimpses of the authors’ look up of thinking, frame of indication and values.  When we cut up ourselves down to 7 bit, they usually reflect a square sense of self and what matters most.

We recently ran calligraphic workshop on Positive Ethics shield Therapists in which we explored fundamental values that we take to our personal lives arm our work.  We handed rendering participants a list of metaphysical philosophy and had them circle 5-10 that they resonated with important. Connecting with core values aligns us with our sense stand for purpose and meaning in sure, one of the most dynamic strategies for increasing happiness significant wellbeing (See the work observe Seligman, Wong, Baumeister).

Art Directive: 
We advocate that you choose your longest 5-10 values (click here assign download the list) and drag a simple symbol for apiece of the values that boss around chose so that you have to one`s name not just a verbal on the contrary also a visual vocabulary suggest those values.  Keep that list/drawing in your view (in your office, on your refrigerator) introduction a reminder of what psychiatry important to you.

And draft your own 7-word biography!

Here is Rebecca’s attempt:
“See beauty in others.  Reduce suffering. Cats.”

And Gioia’s:
“Artist, visionary, buff.  Passionate, compassionate.  Also, Mommy.”

Share yours on our facebook page.