7. Self///made

Learning more about how people cultivate deep and healing relationships with themselves and design the life they want

This past week I interviewed multiple friends and colleagues for my research on Cartograph. Even though my conversations were pretty organic, my goal was to learn a little more about how people track time, make hard decisions, memorialize experiences, and understand their lives.

As one might expect, each person I spoke to had their own way of moving through life and making meaning while they do it. Some people I spoke to are very action and goal-oriented (making lists and keeping calendars), while others are driven more by intuition or emotion (listening to their gut and learning through relationships). And of course, the same person might act differently or take a different approach depending on the context.

I also really enjoyed stumbling upon a few common themes across my conversations. For example, multiple people I spoke with talked about the importance (and the struggle) of exercising self-compassion when balancing what they "should be doing" with what they actually do. I also heard multiple folks talk about the importance of listening to one's internal voice when making large life decisions and how one must be open to external factors completely changing the trajectory of one's life.

As I honed in on some of the common themes, my thoughts about Cartograph started to evolve. Maybe this project is less about journaling or memorializing time, but more about cultivating a deep and loving relationship with yourself. This prospect made me wonder: How do others stay in touch with their inner truth/voice? What tools do other people use to help them stay on their path?

If you have time, I would GREATLY appreciate if you took one minute to share any practices or tools you use for cultivating a healthy and loving relationship with yourself

With care,

Max