Biography Work: Bringing Social Artistry to Life

by Patricia Rubano

Biography work seems to be on the lips of every speaker addressing aspects of anthroposophy these days, and it is referred to in many articles. It seems that something that was perhaps misunderstood for a time is finding a resonance in many people now and the potential that it has for building bridges is being recognized.

So, what is biography work—and what is its relevance in today’s world? From the perspective held by the Center for Biography and Social Art that has been training people to use biography work in various fields for the past twenty years I will say: it is one of the most gentle and beautiful ways both to gain self-knowledge and to create community or social understanding.

Rudolf Steiner speaks of this in “How Can the Soul Needs of the Times Be Met?”:

When the science of spirit grows more and more away from abstractions into concrete life, there will appear among the circles which occupy themselves with this … a special kind of human social understanding, a way of awakening human interest. There will then be people who have certain capacities for teaching... about the different human dispositions…

This is one of the thoughts that serve as something of a job description for those of us who are developing this work. Through teaching and learning about human development—including life phases, temperaments, and soul types—and by relating these concepts to our own experiences and sharing in small groups, the most natural thing in the world is to become interested in those with whom we have shared. This deepened interest brings new understandings about both oneself and others.

There is a similarity in this Biography and Social Art way of working to what is offered to children through Waldorf education. We use an experiential approach so that we not only study ideas but engage our whole threefold nature of head, heart, and hands. Any theme can be related to the human being as we discover how different topics resound in our own lives, from the seasons of the year to the images of a fairy tale. Furthermore, by bringing our own experience into expression through drawing, modeling, writing, and other media, we activate memory on a different level, moving out of our head into our creative will. This threefold way of working allows our mind to take in the subject that is offered and our interest to be enkindled as we consider its relevance to our own life. Then as our hands become active in expressing something in an unaccustomed way, we find new insights and meaning for our individual lives are revealed.

This way of working has nothing to do with looking at our life to find out what is wrong: “What is my problem and how can I fix it?” It is about looking at life as an evolution over time; as a process of development that includes crisis, change, metamorphosis, and transformation. This way of viewing one’s life and the world is supported by observation exercises where we learn to see these phases of growth, development, and change in the natural world. Inner work and self-development practices allow us to experience in ourselves, and to see in others, the transformation of old habits and the development of new capacities.

If we think of bio-graphy as life-writing, it is so much larger than an individual life or even human life; it includes the evolving world of nature and the universe. Can we begin to read the underlying spiritual script that connects everything and through which we find meaning?

In this way of working with others, we find, over and over, that people are grateful for even the smallest ways to share meaningfully about their own lives and to hear themselves reflected in the lives of others. This occurs consistently, whether from one brief exercise at the beginning of a meeting, a session in a conference, a full weekend workshop, or an on-going group. Whether someone is new to these ideas of human development and evolution or has studied anthroposophy for years, they discover new perspectives and familiar concepts are deepened.

The Biography and Social Art course was founded by Signe Schaefer, who recently wrote the book "Why on Earth? Biography and the Practice of Human Becoming" (reviewed in being human, spring 2014). The title gives a hint as to why someone would do biography work: the “practice of human becoming” is a process on-going throughout life. This is a work based on Rudolf Steiner’s constant encouragement to review—from the daily review to the review of one’s life. He says in “The Inner Aspect of the Social Question” (Zurich 1919):

We can ask ourselves: How has this life of mine unfolded since childhood? But we can do this also in a special way. Instead of bringing before our gaze what we ourselves have enjoyed or experienced, we can turn our attention to the persons who have figured in our lives ... and we can summon before our soul the inner nature of each of these persons in place of our own. After a time we shall find ourselves reflecting how little we really owe to ourselves, and how much to all that has flowed into us from others.

Surprisingly, as we look back at our lives, it is not so much “about me” as one might think, but about the others that we have come together with in order to find and create our life’s destiny. We may even learn to see those who have appeared to be adversaries as helpers along our life’s journey.

Biography work finds its home within the Anthroposophical Society in the General Section of the School for Spiritual Science. Everyone has a life, a biography and a destiny, and all of us and our institutions can benefit from working with Steiner’s fundamental teachings about what it is to be human.

To learn about human and cosmic evolution is educational; to explore one’s life individually or with others is hygienic and often therapeutic. And sharing on this level with others creates social bonds and builds community. It is used by doctors and nurses, counselors and therapists, teachers and coaches and anyone who has the imagination to bring new life to individuals and social situations.

Biography work is needed at this time when anti-social forces are, of necessity, stronger than the natural social forces as they were present in the past. We must find many ways consciously and intentionally to bring social artistry to life: to connect to the spirit within and to the spirit in the other. I am happy to say that biography work is one way that holds transformative power over time.

Patricia Rubano directs the Biography and Social Art Program at the Center for Biography and Social Art. A member of the International Trainer’s Forum, she attended Biography Counseling Course in England and is a graduate of Spacial Dynamics. An early childhood educator and mentor, she offers classes and workshops on biography, parenting, relationships, communications and Spacial Dynamics. See biographysocialart.org for more information on the Center.