⁉¿? Wait a minute... Who are you?
Journaling prompts to find your identity when you're drowning in labels and subcultures
Let me be real with you. I'm a teenager, as I assume most of you reading this are (And if you're not, that's totally OK), and trying to find your identity often means trying on persona after persona, hoping that someday something will fit. Which, yes, it will, but I personally believe writing it out and exploring is so much more rewarding (and so much less embarrassing).
۶ৎ Create an overview
This is like writing a discord intro. Include your (Actual, chosen) name, gender identity, and so on, if you would like, but the most important part isn't that obvious.
How do I feel about my nationality? Am I proud of where I live? If I had to choose somewhere, anywhere to live, where would I choose?
What are my feelings towards my assigned gender? Where do I fall on the spectrum? Is my energy more masculine or feminine, or completely neutral?
What is my body image like? What do I like about the way I look, and what do I don't?
Do I actually feel like my bodily age? Younger, older?
Am I aligned with 'Human nature'? Do I enjoy being human, or would I rather be something else?
By taking these traits you were born with and evaluating, you start to get an idea of what you identify with, and what you don't. This is very important, but people often don't question things like this, as they seem a given (But end up unhappy with their view of themselves).
۶ৎ This versus that
Divide your page into a left side and a right side. On the left, write down your real-life answers to these questions. On the right, write what your 100% ideal version of yourself would say. Then compare.
How do I feel about going to school / university / my job?
How do I wake up feeling in the morning?
How do I express myself? (Clothing, makeup, art, music)
What does my friendship circle / lack thereof look like?
How does my brain think people see me? Do I care?
What does my living space look like?
How do I treat myself? Is it fair?
What goes on daily inside my head?
What are my goals in life?
How do I react to failure / disappointment?
What is my main coping mechanism?
What is the strongest opinion I have about myself?
How do my hobbies / activities contribute to my life?
What is my biggest vice?
What am I proud of, relating to my identity?
If it doesn't match up at all, no worries. The most important step to creating an identity for yourself is knowing who you want to be. For a long time I had no idea, and ended up becoming someone I strongly disliked, which is counterintuitive and mentally draining.
۶ৎ Words
Get yourself a blank piece of paper, and write down as many things as you can that interest you, describe you, or that you love. It doesn't have to be cohesive, follow a theme or anything like that, just words on a page. I'll do an example here:
Boba tea, meditation, blogging, Laufey, Cinnamoroll, studying, wonyoungism, skincare, medical dramas, Murakami, dusty pink, journaling, aquarium, cats, that girl/boy, Turkish delight, vanilla
۶ৎ Mood board / Vision board
As a highly visual person, I make collages from Pinterest all the time, and making one or a couple for yourself, or who you want to be, is a great exercise for identity and manifestation. Ideas for what to put on:
Photos related to your aesthetic
Indoor design that speaks to you
Photos of your hobbies
Items you would love to own, or already do
'Goals': photos of good grades, your desired appearance, money etc.
Fashion styles that you wear, or wish you could
Your future occupation
Photos conveying your mood lately
Media (Games, books, movies, shows) that you really enjoy
Your favourite album
An example:
Feel free to reply to this post with your answers!
𓂃˖ ࣪⊹ Kakao
