Spiral Scope Storytelling by Peggy Babbitt

Once in my childhood my Mom bought me a spiral scope viewer toy.  It was made out of cardboard, wrapped around with glossy, bright, multi-colored paper.  When I went and looked through it, it had vivid colored designs that changed right before my eyes. With each turn it changed to different spiral images. I just loved it as a kid. This is how I view my stories now in which change come with each telling.  Just like a spiral scope with an adverb,  an interjection in the tone of my voice, a movement with a gesture or facial expression.  My voice takes charge as I paint a picture  with my words for my audience – a  constant spiral shape all with changing colors. An unchanging plot in the story yet, around it I see colorful changes in each new telling.

 

9 responses to “Spiral Scope Storytelling by Peggy Babbitt”

  1. Clem W. Condon Avatar
    Clem W. Condon

    Good analogy Peggy. Our stories do change with each telling. Like each turn of the spiral, we’re never really sure what we will experience. It is why we can listen to the same uncle tell the same story about falling off the horse. You never know what color the horse will be, what side he’ll fall off, or what he will land in.

  2. Carol Bedner Avatar
    Carol Bedner

    I too loved the analogy. One never realizes how we add, change, embellish a story with repeated sayings. No wonder people say I never heard that story before. It seems to be an extension of yourself with the retelling.

  3. Laura Rutherford Avatar
    Laura Rutherford

    Beautiful…I like this alot. Each change is a thing of beauty part of the whole yet different.

  4. Mark Goldman Avatar
    Mark Goldman

    Great analogy Peggy! Don’t forget that the audience is also part of that ever-changing spiral of colors and shapes.

  5. Sandi Howlett Avatar
    Sandi Howlett

    Peggy, I like the way you looked
    at this with the every changing surroundings….and those kaleidoscopes were like glass magic as kids!

  6. Maya Avatar
    Maya

    Peggy,
    I enjoyed the analogy too. Spiral-scope storytelling — I love the image.

  7. Sally Borg Avatar
    Sally Borg

    Great insight Peggy. The twists and turns that our stories can take are endless.

  8. Patsy Steen Avatar
    Patsy Steen

    Peggy,
    I really liked the ways in which you view the world through your spiral-scope, because like your spiral-scope the world is ever changing; and often we miss the beauty of the change.

  9. Louise Avatar
    Louise

    Peggy, this is a lovely analogy. It made me realize that I’ve been attempting to limit-constrain my storytelling into a specific, flat, plane, and I need to open it up and see the limitless creations just waiting to be discovered!

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