Hi, I'm Shelby M. Wagner,
Author & Concept Creator of The Identity Field Guide.
Growing up as a biracial child of the ‘80s, I was pressed to confront and question my identity from a young age. It was a time in the US when interracial relationships were becoming more common and biracial children were becoming more visible, and yet we weren’t represented in mainstream spaces like television, toys, or magazines. And as the social + racial injustice events of 2020 unfolded, they forced many of us to acknowledge and discuss identity markers such as race. For me, the familiar questions friends and strangers used to ask me came flooding back:
What are you? What are you mixed with? Where are you from? ​​​
Jarring loose these memories made me realize it was necessary to revisit those experiences and explore how they shaped who I am today. I discovered that many of us have layers to our identity that never get seen, talked about, or even celebrated. Then, we end up wondering why we are in relationships or careers that don’t fulfill us or fully validate who we are on the inside. ​​
​As a life coach at the time, I sensed a need to help folks awaken to their true identities and begin to live beyond the status quo. By exploring your identity, you can uncover a new level of joy and fulfillment in all areas of your life, and
The Identity Field Guide is a great place to start.
The Identity Field Guide invites you to get curious over a span of 21 days by selecting images that your intuitive senses are nudging you to see. As you engage with these images, you'll find that words will begin to emerge, allowing you to reflect on the emotions and memories each picture illuminates for you. This process helps you create a self-portrait of yourself that reflects back to you the goodness within you.​​​​​​​
Once you complete the initial 21 days you will have a field guide to your identity. However, since we are constantly evolving, this serves simply as a starting point. Each page is meant to be a a “road map” of who you truly are on the inside. It can be used a reference point when considering changes or decisions in your personal life or career.
Following the 21 days, you'll find additional reflection activities that will lead you towards actionable steps to integrate the insights you gained, and further explore who you truly are.​This field guide is a wonderful resource for fostering authentic connections and makes a great gift for friends, family, or even life coaches or personal development practitioners to share with their clients. You don't need to be a writer or an enthusiastic journaler; just select a picture each day and let it inspire your thoughts. Your adventure is just beginning!
Who Can The Identity Field Guide Support?
Whether you're at a crossroads or simply searching for more enjoyment in your everyday life, the field guide is an invitation to remember who you are and prioritize what genuinely brings you joy and fulfillment.​
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The field guide is for:
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Individuals who are questioning the titles, roles or rewards that once brought them a sense of accomplishment
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Those who enjoy self discovery and are seeking a deeper understanding of themselves, but also want it to feel fun and curious
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Anyone attempting to explore a new phase of their journey without adhering to someone else's definition of success​​
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Folks who think journaling is hard because you're not sure what to write! Let the images guide you!
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The Identity Field Guide gives you an opportunity to step back, reflect, and make conscious choices about what truly matters to you. This is your unique journey, and you're empowered to shape it in a way that aligns with your truest self.
As a Personal Development Catalyst, I often describe myself as Sherlock Holmes (not that old stodgy version, but the cool Robert Downey Jr. version with the matrix-like reflexes and foresight) because I enjoy solving the mysteries of people. And even though I tend to be more introverted, I thrive on sparking conversation that invites individuals to know themselves better.
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The Identity Field Guide was an idea born from a self discovery tool I designed, titled, The Identity Mosaic. It was born out of the idea that we often don't like what we see when look at pictures of ourselves. I thought, what if I could help people create an image of themselves that reflected back to them the goodness of who they are? What if they could create an image of themselves that made them smile.
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From the beginning it has always been about abstract images serving as the mechanism to do the reflecting - to get people out of their heads and into their hearts, about who they truly are. As I began to play around with the idea, I noticed how much I enjoy the emotions captured by photographs and vivid imagery. I sensed the right catalog of pictures would impact folks in the same way; helping them to access thoughts, emotions and memories that had been set aside or forgotten.
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As an outdoor enthusiast who believes experiences like hiking, camping or simply walking outdoors, serve as great teachers, I knew nature needed to be a part of the journal experience. Much like how people use a field guide to identify plants, animals, and other living elements around them, the field guide is a resource for people to make sense of the layers within themselves. A guidebook to come back to when they were feeling lost...or needed a little inspiration.
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I believe that we cannot know each other well, before we know ourselves, which is ultimately why I created The Identity Field Guide. Each of us is here to offer a thought, solution, or experience that only we can uniquely provide, and in order to so, we must know and trust in our true authentic self. Let your journey to remember, begin today!