Kuumba Storytelling T-shirt
The T-shirt in this photo says it all because if ever there were a theme for my storytelling journey this past year, then “Have stories, do tell”, is surely it. I have had nothing short of a spectacular year of stories, performing, writing, video recording, and facilitating throughout the year. The personal growth was amazing as I finished my second master’s degree in Adult Education & Training from the University of Phoenix.
One of the more fascinating things I have discovered is that allowing stories to grow in a direction where they need too, makes me a better teller! While many of us do have those “anytime, anywhere stories”, my challenge over the years had been telling a story in one hard and fast manner and not letting it evolve. Evolution is necessary to survive, as is stories that we tell in order to keep up with the changing times.
I have seen my stories develop this year in ways I had previously not though possible and applied to a number of settings both inside and out of the storytelling world. This has not only made me a much better teller, but also a better person in how I approach life’s challenging and oft changing situations.
In a particular instance this year, I applied for a festival and submitted two stories, but each got turned down. However, since then they have been broken up into smaller parts that were more effective in other material in my repertoire to make them stronger stories. This never would have happened had I not been rejected for the festival. The new material would have still been collecting dust!
It made me realize that I must continue to push myself and go beyond the limits of my comfort zone to continue growing and progressing forward. Just as finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, I have made it a point to make the unlikely more than likely to succeed when carefully crafted and well put together. So, with 2019 right around the corner, I am ready for yet another clean slate to build more stories to engage, enlighten & enrich others! See you on the other side and I’ll be sharing stories along the way!