Personal archeology: discovering your inner diversity through childhood artifacts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31892/rbpab2525-426X.2020.v5.n15.p987-1001Abstract
This article describes a self-exploration by the primary author through artifacts from his own childhood, in an attempt to “give voice” to the qualities present in the child he was, and in the adult he is today. This personal and intimate account springs from the collaboration of the authors on a personal archeology exercise developed for parents and childhood professionals and based on the work of the Learning for Well-being Foundation, which views individuals as whole systems. At the heart of this approach is an emphasis on the principles of living systems and the recognition of “inner diversity” -- fundamental ways of capturing and integrating information that we organize individually to create a representation of the external world that is uniquely our own. The article includes guidelines for the reader to engage in their own personal archeology--searching for artifacts (e.g. photographs, objects, drawings, texts) and stories which indicate personal narratives, attitudes and functioning patterns that last over time. We conclude with a reflection on the value of biographical self-exploration exercises and the importance of the issue of inner diversity in the well-being of children and adults.
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