642 Things About Me Is THE Activity Book About Getting to Know Yourself

Few phrases stop me in my tracks faster than the dreaded "Tell me about yourself."

It's tough to sum up your entire human experience in a few sentences. Of course I know a lot of things about myself, but which ones are important enough to define me to the world?

642 Things About Me: Young Writer's and Artist's Edition is a diary and workbook about getting to know yourself and the things that actually matter to you. Filled with 642 different writing and art prompts, it'll spark your imagination and help you dig deep into who you are—and finally formulate your answer to that difficult question.

642 Things About Me's prompts come in two categories. Written prompts tell you to write down your thoughts, whether you're answering questions, describing your thoughts or even composing a perfect playlist for a friend. My personal favorites are the drawing sections, which ask you to test your artistic abilities to visually represent the things that make you you.

Not every one of these questions or prompts will necessarily apply you to—my home doesn't have a back door to draw for one art exercise, for example—but even if you have to skip a couple, there's enough here to keep you busy with engaging questions for a long while.

Also, because this is your journal, you're free to jump around and fill it in as you please and in your own time. I try to be precise with my writing, so I've been passing on a lot of written sections with the intention of going back once I can really put together my thoughts and formulate a thoughtful response.

Of course, the same can apply for the drawing sections. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten most of a doodle done before erasing it completely, not entirely satisfied with what I've drawn. That's why the section about drawing your right hand with your left hand is filled in and the preceding one about drawing your left hand with your right hand is empty. Save some pencil smudges and eraser dust.

While the book asks you to evaluate internally, and it also makes you look outside yourself. For example, drawing your neighborhood can give you context about the world you grew up in. Before using the journal, I'd never paid much attention to my state bird or state flower. After researching for the drawings, I know that they're the adorable California quail and the gorgeous California poppy, and now that I've drawn them both, I can't see myself ever forgetting them.

And then there are sections that ask you to make decisions about what you really love. With so many incredible animals in the world to choose from, which one is truly your favorite? Does the food you've been proclaiming as your fave since you were 8 still deserve that top spot? Decisions, decisions.

As you fill out 642 Things About Me, not every thing about you will be a revelation—but there are some that will stick out at you and make you realize it's a critical element of your being. Those are the moments cherish and remember, and those are the details that deserve a place in your bio.

Not everyone wants to explore their own mind or enjoys spilling their souls into the pages of a journal, but for those who do, this book might become a meditative daily ritual—and something you'll want to hold on to once it's complete to look back on in the years to come. If you're interested, you can get one here on Amazon for $11.56.

 

Want to hone your drawing skills before you commit to the journal? Click HERE to read our review of the How to Draw Cool Stuff series.