herstory's posterous

Some of the HerStory Workshop Exercises

These are my notes from the workshop that @thinkmaya and I led today at #blissdom.

1. WHO ARE YOU

Go around the room and ask people to introduce themselves in 1 sentence.

Explain afterward: Women always define or limit ourselves by our occupations. But it will be interesting to see if anyone breaks ranks, meaning that if the first person says: Hi I'm Jane and I'm a writer" then chances are each woman will define themselves by occupation. If someone says "I'm a mom" then many will identify themselves by familial ties.

The challenge is to see if anyone introduces themselves by their dreams, aspirations, personality, qualities, etc.

If not, point this out.


2. DREAMS

Have women fold a piece of paper and then write on the outside what they do for a living today.

Then ask them to open the paper and inside write what they dreamed of being when they were a child.

Then fold the paper again and look at the outside. Then open and look at the inside to contemplate how close or how far to their dreams they are.

How many women wrote the same thing on both sides?
to 
How many women are happy with where they are?

How many women would like to take a new path in their life or work?

3. A HEROINE'S JOURNEY

Write where you are today on left side of a piece of paper (Point A) and on the right side (Point B), where they want to be by the end of this year and have them makes 3 dots in between then to NAME the dots from point A to point B.

1. What internal obstacles must you overcome?

2. What external obstacles must you overcome?

3. What single action can you take to move forward?

These 3 points become the arc of a story line.

Homework: They can craft their FUTURESTORY. It is up to them to fill in the words.

4. CHILDHOOD LESSONS

To think of something they did, heard, saw, felt or learned as a child and how it still impacts their life and work today. My story that I tell is of a candle. Short version: I used to love lighting a candle at night when I was quite young - maybe 9 or 10. One nite my dad woke up and I blew out the candle and hid it under my bed. He turned on the light and asked what the smell was. And I lied. His reaction has stuck with me to this very day and had kept me from lying since a young age, so much so that I'm almost too painfully honest, even in business and yet I firmly believe in the power of honesty.

Tell your childhood lesson story.

5. TITLE FOR THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE

If you were to write your life story, what would your title be?

Aliza's Title: "From Gunpoint to Motherhood: Moving from Fear to Acceptance"

Maya's Title: "Learning to Love Myself: Letting Myself Fly and Sharing the Flight With Others"

Wisdom Workshops

HerStory: Storytelling Workshop (Writing Track)

HerStory – The Powerful Art of Telling Your Stories:  As girls, we were taught to be quiet, polite, not draw attention to ourselves. As women, we often fail to acknowledge our own achievements, especially in public. Based on the storytelling arts of indigenous peoples, this interactive, inspirational workshop guides us to tell our stories, to articulate our successes. You have the power. Let’s hear you roar! Led by Web pioneer and motivational speaker Aliza Sherman, founder of the first three web sites for women – Cybergrrl, Webgrrls and Femina – and still making HerStory online every day.

via blissdomconference.com