How to Draw a Life Map

Last weekend Darling joined with our partner Aerie to host a weekend of “loving our becoming,” a dedicated time to explore the individual influences on our lives and uncover ways we can more fully become the women we desire to be.

Members of the Darling team, Aerie team and women from a range of fields came together in Montauk, New York for workshops, shared meals and some sea-salted air, and we now want to extend the invitation to you. Over the next few weeks we won’t be sharing traditional recap posts here but specific lessons from a few of the workshops so that you, too, can love your becoming.

(Bonus: Don’t miss the video of the weekend at the end of this post!)

The Power of Your Life Map with Sarah Dubbeldam

The essence of a life map is to sense the value of what you’ve been through in your life — both the good and the bad. Every experience marks us in a different way, but rather than permanently bend us out of shape, when viewed through the frame of a life map our high and low moments become touch points for where we can press in and better relate or connect with others who’ve shared something similar.

Here’s how to create one of your own:

How to Draw a Life Map

STEP 1: Draw a straight line on a piece of paper.

STEP 2: Draw upward lines in sequential order that represent the positive experiences in your life. Examples could be: A moment someone told you a truth that changed your perspective on life, your first job, a promotion or a relationship that shaped you.

STEP 3: Next, in the same fashion draw downward lines to represent negative experiences. Examples could be: A relationship that ended, a season of depression, a time of feeling lost or when your life took a sudden unexpected turn.

STEP 4: Share your life map with a friend or partner and talk about how these points of impact have shaped you. You might see a common thread running through your story that helps redirect your direction or confirm your current one. There is certainly a beauty in using our hard experiences for the good of others.

Stay tuned; we’ll be sharing two more workshops later this month!

This post is brought to you by Darling in partnership with Aerie. We’re proud to partner with brands that strive to create better, more realistic media for women. All thoughts and opinions remain Darling’s own.

Images via Morgan Ashley Johnson