The way we think about our place in the past and ‘where we come from’ has a huge impact on how we construct senses of ourselves and others in the present.
In this imaginative audio exercise, we are led through a world in which we meet increasing numbers of our own direct ancestors at social gatherings over a series of nights, stretching back generations. We are introduced to people who appear very different to ourselves, yet these are people with whom we share a special relationship.
By completing this exercise, we can challenge the way we think about our past and how we think of ourselves and others in the present. Challenging notions of where we’re from can help us emerge from ruts in the present and can help us realise our potential. New ways of thinking about the options we have to construct ourselves can be empowering and increase our sense of agency in our lives if we’re feeling slightly lost. Exercises such as these are ultimately an important way of improving our identity literacy.