I have taken Creating and Telling Personal Stories many times and find that I want to keep coming back to it. You might wonder why, and I have wondered “why?” myself. You’ve been there, and done that, and you’re going back AGAIN? But personal stories are my favorite to listen to, and my favorite to tell, what’s NOT to go back for?
One reason I keep coming back is that I learn a lot by listening to other personal stories in the classroom setting. The feedback I hear in the class expands my skills as teller and as listener. The varied story structures, the styles of the different tellers, their gestures, their body movement, their expressions, their voice, the pictures they paint – all of this inspires me to be the best I can be. I just don’t get the same thing by going to a public storytelling event. I love public events, but I don’t focus enough on being conscious of what worked well for the teller to use it as a learning experience. Where I really LEARN is in the discussion of the stories after hearing them, thus the classroom setting is perfect for me.
Did you notice that I said, “All of this inspires me to be the best I can be?” I still want to be ME, and that’s a subtle, but important detail. Each of us is unique and we can learn from each other without trying to be anyone other than ourselves. The freedom to be ME, not just the freedom, but the requirement to be ME – is another good reason to keep coming back.
Finally, although I know how to craft a personal story, the reality is that unless I have a reason to put a new story together, I just don’t do it. Life gets busy and I don’t get new stories to tell unless I work at it. The class requires me to come up with three stories, and it’s work – but fun and gratifying work. Being in the class puts me to work and gives me a few new stories to have handy whenever an opportunity to tell a story comes along. This is probably not the last time I’ll be in this class!
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