Storyteller and Story

We practice strengthening our voices &
re-calling through our bodies.

 We each describe what we see in our memory movie—location, time, cultural detail, action, characters, the bigger events that circle this story, deeper histories.

As witnesses, we listen for the striking images in each tale, sketch them, note the key phrases, reflect the imaginative power of the story back to the storyteller.

We use sensory “data” – paintings, photography, movement, voice-- to write short scenes, experimenting with different ways to shape a narrative and tell a story.

4th grade storytelling project, Buckman Elementary, Portland, OR

 As we embody the story, it takes on a life of its own, free from analysis and self-talk. The storyteller becomes a channel through which the images speak.

Every memory holds a key image. Every story is a teaching.

“I expected to reinvigorate my writing practice and improve my storytelling skills. These things have absolutely happened. What I didn't expect was to participate in a process with other storytellers that fed my spirit and gave me that longed-for experience of being greater than the sum of our parts. If you want a profound experience that leaves you a better storyteller and human, you can do no better.”

— Katrina Gould, psychotherapist and writer