The Hashtags
Create Your Heroine Story:
Vassar College Alumnae Connect
In the summer of 2019 I was given the opportunity to craft a workshop for Vassar College. For the past year, my collegue and I had been hosting creative/Jeffersonian dinner parties for women to explore how the reclaim their lives after 40. I was curious. How do Vassar alumnae rebound from big challenges? How might they see themselves a heroines?
How did participants respond to the workshop?
Participants expressed gratitude when we debriefed at the end of the workshop. They were impressed by how the activities help them to articulate their story. And how they were able practice reflection. They shared that they felt centered and ready to attend their reunion.
Student voluteers participated. Their response to workshop was enthusi
Student volunteers participated. They participated and responded extremely enthusiastic.Take a listen to their reflections on the workshop.
These three methods of storytelling gave participants the opportunity
1. to think by making
2. to articulate what they learned from challenge
3. to create something for others to see and respond to
And ultimate each framed themselves as a hero or heroine. They walked away feeling "connected" and empowered."
Resilence take work.
Do the work. It's worth it.
Instruction #1.
Learn about a
Triptych
We would make a triptych - a story in three panels.
Instruction #2
Create a simplified hero's journey
3 panels to represent
1. their lives before
2. their challenge
3. how they rebounded.
Instruction #3
Mimic Mattisse
Participants had construction paper to create Matisse inspired cutouts. This enabled them to be abstract with their images.
What did we do in the workshop?
1. The participants were ask to “make” their stories. We would make triptychs - three panels.
2.They would tell a simplified hero's’ journey.
The 3 panels would represent
1. their lives before
2. their challenge
3. how they rebounded.
3. We offered them only construction paper to create Matisse inspired cutouts. This abled them to be more abstract with their images.
