How to Capture Women’s Stories with Ease

Women are the bedrock of our society, shaping our communities and making life richer and more beautiful with their contributions. Sadly, though, many women underestimate their own worth and fail to recognize the power of their stories. That's why it's so important to capture women's stories and encourage women to write down their lives – each day brings new challenges, joys, and lessons, and capturing all those moments can help to illuminate women's importance in this world.

The most important thing we can do as friends, family members, or mentors for women is to help them see just how valuable their experiences truly are. We need to show them that no matter what they've been through or achieved, their stories and wisdom deserve to be heard. 

Whether we're going through tough times or shining moments in our lives, it's essential that we capture every moment in writing so that we never forget where we came from and how far we've come. 

In short: helping women see their own worth starts with inspiring them to value their stories – one day at a time.

Best advice from a woman in your life

When it comes to advice, there is no shortage of well-meaning people eager to offer their two cents. However, not all advice is created equal. Here are three pieces of advice that have served me well:

1. Never underestimate the power of a kind word: A few kind words can go a long way in making someone feel better. Sometimes, all it takes to turn someone's day around is a genuine compliment or words of encouragement.
2. Life is too short to hold grudges: This is one of my favorites. It takes so much energy to stay mad and hold grudges. It’s far easier to work through it and move on to better moments.
3. Always look for the silver lining: While this can get exhausting, the silver lining can help us work through hard moments and see the light on the other side.

What advice have you received over the years? What advice did your ancestors receive or your patients receive from their ancestral family? Chances are, the advice may be the same and also different. Take some time to ask your patients and the people you care for, what advice they have received over the years from the women in their life. This is one way to capture women's stories.

Prompts to capture women's stories

• Have you ever received amazing advice from a woman in your life?
• Who did you hear the advice from?
• What happened that caused this advice to be given? What was going on at the time?
• When were you given this advice?
• Where were you when this #nugget was bestowed upon you?
• Why is this advice important to you?
• How did the advice make you feel at the time?
• What impact has it had on you? 
• What do you want people to remember about this moment/advice?

Get Her Story Challenge & Capture Women's Stories

Looking for a way to get her story that includes step-by-step instructions and a framework to follow? This challenge is a great way to start conversations and create a memorable gift. The challenge includes video and written instructions to walk you through interviewing, drafting, and creating the final version of your gift. Throughout the challenge, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and find out new things about yourself and your storyteller.

By the end of the challenge you will have made new memories, recorded old memories, and strengthened your relationship with someone you love. You can get more details and jump into the challenge here.

Capture Women's Stories by Starting the Conversation

Sometimes a simple way to get someone to share about themselves and their story is to ask them about someone important in their lives, like a close friend. 

Try asking the storyteller in your life about their friends and memories they have with them to get them started. You can use prompts like: 

• Did you have a best friend growing up? 
• What was their name? 
• How did you meet? 
• What did you enjoy doing together? 
• Did you have other close friends as you grew up or as an adult? 
• What did you like about them? 
• What’s your favorite memory with them? 

You may be pleasantly surprised how quickly some fun (and maybe crazy!) stories come out!

What now?

Looking for that thing to help you keep your storytellers engaged and talking? For the writers in your care, this journal will keep them talking for a good long while. Encourage them (if they can) to reach out via phone or video to family members and share the memories they write about.

This journal was designed for storytellers in their sunset years who are ready to write about and share their memories. Simple to use and elegant enough to keep around to remind you of them long after they are gone.