Most people are not defined by a singular place. Where you were born, where your family is from, where you used to live, and where you currently live can vastly differ. We are frequently asked for an overly simplified answer regarding locational identity, misrepresenting or negating those with more complex identities such as multinationals, immigrants, and diaspora.

In this workshop we collage together alternative personal geographies that we fully identify with to challenge this oversimplification. These “self cities” are not limited to geographic reality and existing labels, instead embracing fiction to reframe locational identity and challenge constructed borders. Participants then share their cities, which leads into discussions about having similar experiences and relationships with completely different places or having relationships with similar places in vastly different ways. Making these new cities and examining the various interrelationships allows us to create a more nuanced definition of where someone is from.