One powerful way to elicit memories is to sketch a simple map of a home or neighborhood you once lived in. This seems to access memories stored in the right brain. So, for example, you could sketch a floor plan of a childhood home, or a simple map of your immediate neighborhood. If you spent a lot of time outdoors, a diagram of your yard can also be fun to draw and think about. You might also enjoy drawing a floor plan of your school, your public library, or any place that was significant to you at some time during your life.
When reflecting on these simple drawings, allow yourself to be receptive to memories of things that happened in different rooms or locations. You might even have a conversation with a friend or relative, explaining the different areas represented and saying a bit about how “I used to spend time here …” or where “A particular event stands out in my memory …”
At a certain point, most people discover, in this way, an experience they would like to write about. This can be a specific event (my 16th birthday party) or a general custom (this is where Dad stacked the wood for our wood stove).
Why not try this, either by yourself or with friends/relatives?
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