Creating vs. Learning about Myths


My personal experience with creating a myth differed greatly from my experience with studying a myth. I found my time with writing my own myth to be more enjoyable, as it gave me the opportunity to stretch my creativity and produce something that I was genuinely proud of. Despite the fact that I have never studied myths before, I did not find this new experience to be very enjoyable. I had never really been interested in mythology in any capacity, but I will say that the minimal amount of research I conducted when creating my own myth was more interesting and enjoyable than when I studied myths in class. 

As previously stated, I enjoyed having the opportunity to write my own myth and would love to impart this experience onto my future students. I think giving students sundry opportunities for creative writing would not only make class a more enjoyable experience for them but would also enrich their academic careers. I wholeheartedly believe that students should have the chance to undertake different forms of writing throughout their middle and high school education. Rather than just writing formal, argumentative essays, I want my students to have the enriching academic experience of writing creative fiction stories, poems, and personal narratives. I believe that having the opportunity to write in different genres will not only enhance their learning and broaden their writing skills but also allow them to enjoy the writing process more. When students are forced to adhere to a very strict and specific writing structure, they may grow to resent writing altogether. However, if they are able to produce different writing in different genres, they may realize their love for it. Thus, I would love to give my students a similar assignment of writing their own fictional myth. 

Comments

  1. Rachel FranksMarch 28, 2026 at 7:51 PM

    Hi Emma,

    I resonated with your post. In consideration of enjoying the process of creating a myth website over researching myths, I also felt the same. I enjoy studying myths, but I often find that they involve much in-depth research to understand the cultural and historical context surrounding them. When creating my own myth website, I used a bit of research on Greek Mythology as the basis for my myth, but it was simple and brief, allowing me to utilize more creativity over analytical thinking---much like you stated. I agree with your part on the importance of providing students with different mediums to enhance their learning and creativity. I would also say that allowing students to learn about different genres is important, as it broadens their cultural empathy and understanding. Something I took away from learning about myths was becoming acquainted with vast cultural backgrounds and learning more about origin stories and where they derived from. Upon doing so, I found that I had a better understanding and appreciation for different ethnic groups.

    Great work,
    Rachel Franks

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  2. AnonymousMarch 29, 2026 at 10:59 PM

    Hello Emma,


    I enjoyed reading your perspective. I do think the reading vs writing about myths is very different. I agree that putting constraints on students may steer them away from the English subject and the importance of letting them explore different forms of writing, as they may not find it enjoyable, allowing them to create works through reading and analyzing history is very important, and I do think it can be done in a creative/disciplined way as well. I doesnt have to be a recurring experience in a classroom, but it would be fun to see it integrated to give them a little break or reset from the typical writing structures. The research that went into the history of the myth was fun to me I was able to write about it, but also learn from it, and what cultures that created these myths may look like or practice storytelling today. -Millie Z

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