Creating my myth, The Curse of the Silent Jester, deeply enhanced my appreciation for the creative process of mythology. Studying myths often involved analyzing established archetypes and narrative structures, but writing my own allowed me to push beyond the boundaries of analysis and engage with myth in an original and imaginative way. I had to think creatively about how to twist traditional elements, such as the hero’s journey, into something new, dark, and uniquely my own. This process required me to reinvent characters, settings, and symbolic elements that convey universal themes found in myths, but through a fresh and distorted lens.
The creative aspect of myth-making helped me better understand the flexibility of mythic structures. I was free to experiment with form and content, weaving together horror and mythical storytelling, and in doing so, I realized how myths can be reshaped to reflect contemporary issues or emotions. This creativity not only deepened my understanding of myth as a living, evolving narrative form but also reinforced how essential innovation is to keeping myths relevant across generations.
For future teaching, incorporating myth creation into the curriculum could be a powerful way to help students engage more deeply with the material. By encouraging them to write their own myths, I would give them the opportunity to blend creative storytelling with analytical thinking. This process would help students internalize the elements of myth, such as archetypes, the hero’s journey, and symbolic themes, by requiring them to actively apply these concepts rather than simply observing them in existing texts. Through this, they would gain a more intimate understanding of the narrative structures and universal themes that define mythology. Also, myth creation would tap into their creativity, offering students the freedom to explore contemporary issues, personal struggles, or even current societal challenges through a mythical lens. This could make the study of myth more relevant and meaningful, as they would see how timeless themes of transformation, conflict, and resolution can be adapted to reflect modern life. It would also foster a sense of ownership over their learning, as they would be crafting original stories that reflect their personal perspectives and ideas.
WC: 355
Hi Shel,
ReplyDeleteWow! Very well-written post that reflects your understanding of myths and the difference between writing your own myth and studying one. I really enjoyed reading what you created as well, and it's clear to see that you had fun with it! I totally agree with what you explain regarding how students can greatly benefit from learning myths, as well as tasking them with creating their own. Students should be challenged in ways that can strengthen their critical thinking skills and be given opportunities to apply the knowledge that has been taught throughout the lessons. I especially like that you bring in the idea of student's exploring complexities like social issues or even looking inward to discuss their own personal experiences. In my own experience, having students bring in their own lives helps to deepen the connection between themselves and what they are learning. Really enjoyed reading your blog!
Hi Shel,
ReplyDeleteWow! Very well-written post that reflects your understanding of myths and the difference between writing your own myth and studying one. I really enjoyed reading what you created as well, and it's clear to see that you had fun with it! I totally agree with what you explain regarding how students can greatly benefit from learning myths, as well as tasking them with creating their own. Students should be challenged in ways that can strengthen their critical thinking skills and be given opportunities to apply the knowledge that has been taught throughout the lessons. I especially like that you bring in the idea of student's exploring complexities like social issues or even looking inward to discuss their own personal experiences. In my own experience, having students bring in their own lives helps to deepen the connection between themselves and what they are learning. Really enjoyed reading your blog!
- Adela Perez
Hello Shel,
ReplyDeleteI specifically like the last portion where you mention that creating these myths really helps students develop their own critical thinking skills by challenging them to use typical elements of a myth and make it their own. In this way, I also think it is beneficial because they can explore whatever they want in their myths—it's their time to shine. Using personal experiences and/or something they are passionate about to help inspire their myth creation goes a long way in creating a sense of passion for their work, which I think is important for projects like this.
When it comes to my own personal experience, I also found it freeing to be able to bend certain mythic elements to my will. Once again, it just adds a great creative twist that makes our myths feel so personalized, even if they aren't necessarily the first rendition of a certain myth.
WC: 152
Hi Shel,
ReplyDeleteYou have a great way of describing the process of creating your own myth! Reading a myth about a god, historic figure, or natural phenomenon makes us forget that someone had to use their own imagination to craft a story with a relevant theme or lesson. You’re right to point out that myths can evolve and be modernized in order to keep them relevant to changing audiences. By creating a myth around a current popular character, you made it so that anyone familiar with Art the clown would be drawn into your myth, which is a good way of getting people interested in your original myth. You have some valuable perspective on how this myth assignment can be helpful for future high school students. By creating their own myths, students can create their own characters and worlds, or adapt pre-existing characters to a new story, and craft a narrative around them that includes myth archetypes. By turning their concepts and stories into myths, students can appreciate their own creativity and experiences as being on the same level of significance as the myths that they come across in popular media. Great post!
Hi there Shel! I agree that making your own myth does require studying and understanding established archetypes and narrative structures like studying a myth does. And I also agree with your point that making your own myth also needs some imagination and creativity that is applied from what one understands from the narratives and archetypes of myths. I also applied this fusion of facts and knowledge with creativity and imagination to create my myth regarding the origin of computers. Your suggestion of incorporating myth creation projects into the school curriculum is a good idea in my opinion. I agree with your belief that allowing students to work on a project like this gives them the opportunity to blend creative storytelling with analytical thinking, which are important things for every student to learn and develop in an English class. Great insights on the differences between creating myths and studying them, as well as on the benefits of having teachers assign students these myth creation projects.
ReplyDeleteWord Count:164
You've done a fantastic job explaining the process of creating a personal myth! It's easy to forget, when reading a myth about a god, historical figure, or natural event, that someone once had to imagine it all, crafting a story that conveyed an important theme or lesson. You’re absolutely right that myths can change and be updated to stay relevant to new audiences. By building a myth around a well-known character like Art the Clown, you've found an engaging way to draw people into your story, making it more likely that they'll connect with your original myth. You offer some valuable insight into how this kind of myth assignment could be beneficial for high school students. Creating their own myths allows them to invent characters and worlds or reinterpret existing ones within a new narrative, adding archetypal elements along the way. Being able to open a portal to creativity and write their own myths with their own ideas that we implanted in our previous activities (if we were to teach this on our own), can really establish a good relationship with future students
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Kate