Popular Life Stories

Inspiring stories from individuals who have overcome challenges and created distinctive lives for themselves

Illustration of person climbing through a window which takes the place of one square in a giant period table, through the window is a city scene.
HOME

Lab at the edge of the world

When my daughter was bullied, I decided to homeschool her. A chain reaction ensued

by Lea Page

Silhouette of a person next to a glowing orange lamp in a dark room.

Discarded

The end of a friendship cracked me apart, triggering hidden memories – and helping me heal old wounds

by Antonia Malchik

A naked young woman walking on a rippled sandy beach towards the sea, clear blue water and distant islands in view.
Psyche Exclusive

For Lucy, surviving on a remote island was hard, but returning was harder

Directed by Jesper Wachtmeister

Photo of a person carrying a child with blue star shorts on their back, walking on a path lined with green plants.

A sister who wasn’t ours

We were her foster family for two and a half years. We had no claim to her, but she became part of us

by Kelsey Day

Illustration of a woman standing in a giant conch shell, nestled among giant books, a large beaded necklace and various other objects, holding a small mirror, wearing a red top on a beige background.
MEMOIR

Love, shame and 325 bags of trash

In my mother’s hoarding house, I found something I wanted to keep

by Deborah Derrickson Kossmann

A person with a backpack hiking through a dense forest towards a rocky riverbank.

In the hole

A metaphor for depression became a catalyst, and I started to reinvent my approach to suffering

by Tasha Eichenseher

Sketch of a bathroom with a vanity unit and mirror. An illustrated nude woman stands in the centre, reflected in the mirror.

A woman summons a stoic calm after accidentally trapping herself in a shower

A film by Tom Schroeder

Abstract blue and white line drawing of multiple nude female figures, seen from various angles, arranged in a pattern.

A minotaur shifts shapes and sexes in this ferociously original animation

A film by Chaerin Im

Photo of a person speaking into a microphone holding an electric string instrument with a choir in the background.

The barbarians are at the gates in this electric Laurie Anderson performance

Video by All Arts

Close-up of an elderly woman’s face with eyes closed, light grey hair, and a blurred brown background. Her expression is calm.

Why one death doula sees an examined death as vital to a good life

A film by Annie Marr

Two people in a park performing a balancing act on white chairs and a wooden plank, surrounded by pine trees.

Two gravity-defying performances play with the physics of life on Earth

A film by Bastien Dausse

A yellow taxi on a busy street, people walking, child holding flowers, historic building in the background under a blue sky.

Confessions of a teenage fundamentalist

My world was dark and scary. But beautiful things crept in, and threats of hell just couldn’t compete

by Liz Boltz Ranfeld

Woman in a white dress standing in front of a geometric quilt in a garden setting with trees in the background.

Beauty is woven into everyday life for the quilters of the American West

A film by Carly Jakins and Jared Jakins

Close-up of hands holding clear frogspawn with visible black eggs in a natural outdoor setting.
Psyche Exclusive

A filmmaker’s never-realised ideas become an exploration of self-doubt

Directed by Cameron Nicoll

A man wearing an eye mask lies on a bed while another person observes; a monitor and lamp are on the nearby table.

What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like? Inside one firefighter’s journey

Directed by Brandon Kapelow