Biographake
general journal junk
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idealog
You will need:
- journal or scrapbook
- adhesives
- writing tools - pens, markers, coloured pencils, etc.
- stickers, labels, receipts, menus, photos, and other gathered ephemera
We often dream of imaginary places or imagine known places in a completely different way than they are. But some of us enjoy people more than places. We people watch, and imagine what's going on in their heads, what their day is like, what's in the shopping bags they carry, and so on. Seeing people isn't the only method of entering into this game, but it's frequently the easiest. So let's start there! Find a photo of a person you do not know and create a biography for them.
But how to go about it, you wonder. What to add? Where to start?
Do:
- Put your photograph in a place where it's always present until you're done with your project so that it's always there to inspire you.
- After you're done your project, you can put that image on the cover of the book you used, or on the first page.
- Just don't forget to leave room for it.
Choose what perspective you're going to do this in.
- Will you write it as an observer of another person, as a biographer?
- Or will you treat this as if you are that person, creating a journal or memory book of some kind?
- Or will you do some combo of the two?
You can use any kind of journal or scrapbook you like, but make sure the paper in it is stuff that can handle a lot of writing and some glue or other adhesive. These are just some general ideas on what you can add to your book. You can add to it, omit from it, or adapt it in any way you choose.
Who is this person? Give them:
- a name
- an age
- a place of birth
- where they live
- what they do for a living, if anything
- hobbies
- health
- family
- favourite colour
- pet peeves
- and so on.
All the trappings of the average human life. Or make them not average at all. Give as much detail as you want. Maybe devote an entire page or entry to each thing.
You could add journal/diary-style entries that:
- detail what's going on in the person's head
- that talk about what their days are like
- even list the things they shopped for on any given day
- talk about their first love
- their most recent love
- their wedding
- talk about their views on current events and wider issues
- add poetry they wrote
- a love letter
- a description of their neighbourhood
- gathered photographs that might be where they live, work, or walk their dog
You can answer questions like:
- Did the person write a book?
- How did they decorate their home?
- Where did they go on their last vacation?
- What are they giving their loved ones for Christmas?
- Did they invent something?
- What do they carry in their purse or backpack?
- Do they participate in social media in any way?
- What games do they like to play, if any?
- What are their favourite songs, books, movies, etc.?
- What did they think of the last book they read?
If you want to turn this into somewhat of a group project:
- You could choose a photograph and have everyone write a description of that person.
- Of the kind of person they think the person is.
- Set some questions that everyone needs to answer about the person in the image.