Resilience and Identity
Who Are You Beyond What Has Happened to You?
Our first invitation is to create a zine about personal resilience and the aspects of your identity that you value and want to preserve.
When life becomes stressful, overwhelming, or traumatic, circumstances can begin to dominate our attention.
But our circumstances are not the entirety of our identity.
There are still values we carry.
Relationships that matter.
Roles we cherish.
Things we know how to do.
Parts of ourselves we love.
Stories we want to remember.
Create Your Personal Resilience Zine
Before beginning, pause.
Ask yourself:
What matters to me?
Then consider:
What has helped me continue during difficult periods?
What am I proud of in myself?
What qualities do I want to preserve?
What roles are important to me?
Who or what reminds me of who I am?
What gives me hope?
What would I want someone I love to know about me?
What part of my identity deserves to be seen?
Your zine might contain photographs, drawings, meaningful words, memories, symbols, quotations, colors, poems, or simply a few handwritten sentences.
It does not need to tell your entire story.
Choose the part of your story that feels important right now.
One More Question
Before you begin, decide who this zine is for.
Perhaps it is only for you.
Perhaps you want to show it to someone you love.
Perhaps you want to create it with your family, students, colleagues, or community.
All of these choices are valid.
Your zine belongs to you.
What part of yourself would you like to remember, honor, or make visible today?
About This Exercise
This creative exercise was introduced by Dr. Joe Mageary during VELA Well-being’s seminar, “Reflections on Identity: Working Towards Community Based Resilience,” as an art therapy-inspired approach to exploring identity, supporting emotional expression and healing, and fostering community resilience.