Chapter 55: How to Start

Second blog in a row! Woah! Don’t get excited. I’m writing this in light of yesterday’s blog and the upcoming series of videos on my channel around the “Sister Book”. Per requests, here is what Amanda and I did for our book and some suggestions for your own.

What was the “Sister Book”?

The sister book was a scrapbook that Amanda and I shared over the course of a year. We would each create one page per month for said book. Each page would include a response to a prompt, challenge, task – call it what you want, that we gave to each other. We would give each other the task sometime around the first of the month and we would each have the duration of the month to complete the task and the page for the book. We would then exchange who had the book each month. You could use any method for keeping track, including one of those big time capsule tins and just dump everything in there. Or maybe you exchange it all through digital media via a USB. It’s up to you – make it your own!

What prompts/tasks/challenges were included?

Anything! The only task we had that was the same was the final one in September (which we actually just completed last week). All other tasks were different for each of us. Some examples (from what I can remember) are:

• What is one thing you love about yourself? Not your life, but yourself.
• If you could trade places with anyone for 24 hours, who would you pick? Why? What would you do?
• Have one person fill out a questionnaire about anything – personal, fun, silly, whatever. You can find some examples or ideas online.
• Take a picture every day for the month.
• Have a photo scavenger hunt. Create one yourself, or examples can be found online.
• Write a letter to your past, present, and future self. Include whatever you want in the letter.
• Write a short story about a given topic, or about a topic of your choosing.
• Give yourself a Valentine’s Day card.
• Plan a trip (short or long) for the two of you. Include every detail and imagine that money is not an issue.
• Write the emotion you are feeling at the end of the day, every day, for the month.
• Write about someone who you’re jealous of. Why? How is your life better than theirs?
• If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? To visit? To live? Why?
• Plan a party for yourself (like a birthday). Include an invitation and a full itinerary of events, menu, music, etc.
• Create something about the two of you – a collage, story, song, etc. that celebrates your relationship.
• Choose a letter of the alphabet and write down every word you hear that begins with that letter for the duration of the month. Then write a story using all the words you wrote down that month.
• Make a collage about yourself – think grade school.
• Write a letter to each other. Include whatever you want.
• Describe what you thought the first time you met. How has that changed?
• Share a deep dark secret and why it’s been a secret. Include how you feel about finally sharing it.
• Sit in a public venue and people watch. Write a story about someone you observe.
• Write about one regret in life. Include what it was. Why it’s a regret. And what has been done to move beyond it.
• Plan an adventure for the two of you. Give details about what you would do. Where you would go. How you would get there. Why you would do it.

Who should you do it with?

My sister and I decided to do it on a whim while shopping at Michael’s one day. Or maybe I thought of it during that trip and then told her about it…I don’t remember. What I can say is that ANYONE can and should do it. Siblings, partners, parents with their children, friends, roommates, ANYONE! The tasks/challenges/prompts may need to be altered to fit the relationship, but I think it’s a great way to learn about yourself and each other – and if you do it like us, it’s a two year commitment. That’s kind of a big deal, but so worth it! And it’s a lot of fun to create the pages that go with your prompt.

The final interview that we did came from the NY Times. (NY Times Article). As you’ll see from the article, it’s targeted to romantic partners, but love and intimacy exist in all relationships, so we gave it a go! I would highly recommend doing this regardless of whether you have a long-term project like the “Sister Book” or not. I thought it was the perfect way to end our year of discovery, so answering it for a vlog was our final challenge – together. We also wrote (are writing) short letters to each other that we’ll read at the end of the second year – the year of unveiling!

If you do it, I would love to know how you’re making it your own and what your thoughts are along the way. #TimeBook and share your story.

Until Next Time,
Courtney Chivon