Doctors in the House
Six Words storytelling as the best medicine; Bob Barker's big life story; three more words for the Fall; and a few bits and bytes on creativity from ChatGPT
Six Words for Healthier Doctors
Among the most joyful parts of running The Six-Word Memoir Project for more than sixteen years is when I receive a note that starts with these words: “I am happy to share my six word project with you….”
One such note came during the early days of the pandemic from Alexie Puran, a pediatric ER doctor in NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. Puran saw the strain the pandemic was putting on the mental and emotional health of the staff and employed the six word format as a way to elicit their six word “why” for practicing medicine. Their reasons for going into medicine were inspired (“Serving humanity after losing my mother””), straight-forward (“You’re hurt, you called, we responded”), and even humorous (“Healing sick children, no adults please”). Now Dr. Puran’s six word project has been featured in a new edition of Every Doctor: Healthier Doctors = Healthier Patients, “My journey with Six-Word Memoirs began four years ago, and I would have never imagined having such an amazing opportunity to share the power of using just six words on such a larger scale and potentially impacting doctors all over the world,” says Puran. He was also honored to discuss his six word project at ELEVATE PX 2023, a conference for a global community of healthcare professionals and experience champions committed to transforming the human experience in healthcare. He shared this video below.
Six Contests: Bestsellers and Autumn
Over the summer, our “Your Bestselling Book in Six Words” contest challenged Sixers to craft and share the titles of their imaginary New York Times bestseller. Check out who made our Top 6 picks!
Now, as the sun’s blistering heat begins to give way to cooler temperatures and changing leaves, we say goodbye to the dog days of summer and enter autumn. For SixContest #153, we want to know what fall means to you.
From enjoying warm apple cider to the joy of jumping into leaf piles, what memories and emotions do you associate with the season? Perhaps you’re reluctant to leave behind the summer sunshine, or you look forward to your first pumpkin spice latte and the beginning of the end of the year. Share your thoughts on the fall, and follow along on social media to see what other Sixers have to say!
Remember to tag us and include #FallInSix when posting your Six Words to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Short Cuts: Our Substack Six-Word Review
The aptly-named Steady offers a reprieve from the polarized and divisive nature of some modern news outlets with its less-partisan newsletter about mostly current events, but also a versatile mix of sports, art, nature, and more. Journalist Dan Rather, along with his co-author Elliot Kirschner and producer Alex Van Amson, share their analysis on “a tough, yet hopeful juncture of history.” Each edition of the Steady newsletter is accompanied by rich and respectful discourse by readers, which Rather says is a critical aspect of the newsletter. Rather’s political writing can be summed up by an Oscar Wilde quote that he notes is a favorite of his: “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” With his newsletter, Rather details the complexities of the truth in a straightforward and honest way, while encouraging respectful political discussions.
Six-Word Memoir intern Leah Schroeder’s Six-Word Review: “Thoughtful discourse: unifying a divided world.”
Craft of AI Writing: Chat GPT on Creativity
Normally we have humans write our Craft of Writing column (cuz we’re a little old school), but we decided to see what would happen if we asked ChatGPT for advice. You’ll see what the robots said below:
Me: What can I do to improve my creativity?
ChatGPT: There are several things you can do to improve your creativity:
Seek out new experiences: Expose yourself to new experiences, people, and places. Travel to new destinations, try different foods, and explore new hobbies. This can help you see things from a different perspective and generate new ideas.
Practice brainstorming: Set aside time to brainstorm and generate ideas without worrying about their feasibility or practicality. Write down every idea that comes to mind, even if it seems silly or far-fetched. This can help you build your idea-generation skills.
Take breaks: Creativity can be mentally exhausting, so take regular breaks to recharge your mind. Go for a walk, meditate, or engage in other relaxing activities that help you clear your mind.
Learn from others: Study the work of creative people in your field or other areas. Observe how they approach problem-solving and generate ideas. Consider taking a class or workshop to learn new skills and techniques.
Keep a notebook or idea journal: Write down your ideas, thoughts, and observations in a notebook or idea journal. This can help you capture ideas when they come to you and give you a repository to refer back to when you need inspiration.
Remember, creativity is a skill that can be developed with practice and persistence. Don't be afraid to try new things, experiment, and take risks.
End Note: Bob Barker’s Great Deal
I’ll be honest: until I received Bob Barker’s Six-Word Memoir, “My life story — spay or neuter,” for It All Changed In an Instant: More Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure, I didn’t realize that the true cause of the legendary The Price Is Right host’s life was not helping people dressed up like forks, bags of chips, and cheerleaders win a new car. Like many ‘80s kids, the prize for staying home from school when I was sick was ginger ale and watching The Price Is Right on the couch. While Barker ended every show with these six words, “Have your pets spayed or neutered," the host’s life’s passion didn’t penetrate my un-well nine-year-old brain (see mom, I wasn’t faking it!). Barker will be remembered as both one of the world’s most beloved game show hosts and an effective animal rights advocate. He is also someone I am proud and grateful to call a Six-Word Memoirist.