Research Project
Searching For Meaning
Nearly half (43.4%) of adults think that they have had a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life (Mental Health Foundation 2016) and I am keen to explore how I can use my creativity to help others.
My research led me to what has been identified by Richard Rohr as "a crisis of meaning", studies show that living without purpose poses a greater risk of mortality (Berns-Zare, 2019).
In a society that incentivises commercial prosperity, set within an increasingly secular age, I believe we lack the resources that encourage self reflection and the discovery of meaning.
So I decided to devise a way to facilitate this vital human need, through stories.
"Telling the story is important; without stories memory becomes frozen; and without memory you cannot imagine how things can be different." - Bessel Van Der Kolk
So I set about creating an interactive experience that would allow people to use storytelling to self reflect.
The Library of Meaning
I created a set of 50 library books based on common story archetypes. Within each book there were cards that gave the meaning of the archetype. Participants were encouraged to browse the books and select the cards that best told the story of their lives.
The Story Chapel
The library needed a home.
In order to find a place to display the books my research led me to the idea of sacred space, the sense that one has entered into a meaningful connection with the present moment. Studies show that “experiences of awe” can relieve stress, decrease physical pain and alleviate depression (Wheal, 2021).
So I built a small chapel decorated with stained glass to create a sacred space that would calm the autonomic nervous system for my participants and foster a sense of awe that would deepen their self reflection.
The Story Chapel was tested at Camp Bestival 2022 to great success.
Participant feedback:
“I’m feeling a bit fragile and I had a nice cry reading the stories. I really needed that.”
“I could have lay there all day…I just felt safe in there.”)
