Jack tales
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Growing Hope through Storytelling by Melissa Fees
Stories have always been a time-honored means to teach, inspire and entertain others. More recently, neuroscientists are studying the effects of storytelling on the brain. In this case, personal stories are read to students while their brain is being scanned. These functional MRI studies give us a glimpse into what parts of the brain are…
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How Stories Don’t Get Old – They just Develop Roots by Sharon Gilbert
I began my official storytelling journey in 2006 and received my storytelling certificate in 2010. So, I have been developing stories for a long time. Recently I took another storytelling class, this time on zoom. Sacred Storytelling From Around the World, and while I was developing my last story to tell, I realized that many…
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“Pick me, pick me!” by Diana Dinshaw
How often have you heard someone say, “I didn’t pick the book, the book picked me.”? If you are a storyteller you have probably had the same experience where the story that wanted to be told kept whispering in your ear, “Pick me, pick me.” I started the 2023 Spring Semester in which I was…
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Building My Personal Repertoire: Finding Sacred Stories by Bryce Barraza
Are you thinking about adding a ‘sacred’ story to your repertoire? If so, then you and I are in the same boat . . . and I certainly appreciate your good company! Recently, as part of a storytelling course, I have been learning and practicing how to better interpret stories and their sacred elements with…
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Finding Who You Are by Lauren Besich
I recently read a book called Island Wisdom that explored the question, “what does it mean to be Hawaiian?” To answer this question the authors used the themes of Aloha (deep, innate love), ‘Ᾱina (the land), Mo’olelo (the art of storytelling), and ‘Ohana (the family) to paint a picture of the Hawaiian culture. Storytelling serves many purposes…
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Sacred Flowers by Kathy Eastman
This winter all our lovely rains have resulted in a profusion of wildflowers. The attached picture is from my front yard. The flowers with their rare beauty are bringing me so much pleasure! While spending time enjoying all the flowers and pulling weeds, I was listening and watching all the pollinators. It was only natural…
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Acknowledging the Land by Doug Bland
“In order to restore the land, we must re-story it.” —Gary Paul Nabhan Land acknowledgements have become common practice as a way to honor past, present, and future contributions of Indigenous people. Here in Maricopa County, we occupy the unceded lands of the Akimel O'odham and Pee-Posh people. Collectively, the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh…
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Woman at the Well of Story by Susan Valiquette
It’s my 53rd birthday and we are all going to the Moth storytelling event at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix. It is a monthly treat for me to listen to the stories of individuals who vulnerably tell their own stories. This month I don’t have to go solo. I was not prepared to put my…
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The Hero In All by Elizabeth Wunsch
As I am emerged in the stories from my classmates, I feel honored as I recognize the hero’s journeys of each of their lives. And through each of their stories i am introduced to their challenges, strengths and adventures. All so different yet intrinsically tied to one another. Many generations represented, each wrapped in a…
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A Proud Storytelling Novice by Louis Soto
I am a novice at storytelling. I say this not in lack of confidence, instead I say it proudly. I don’t have much experience in telling stories in public, or in an academic setting. That did not stop me from telling my first story. In fact, it is very natural to feel apprehensive about doing…
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Make it Visual: Brainstorming Story Ideas by Bryce Barraza
If you’re like me, before you can craft a personal story, you kind of need a story idea. But what if you’re short on ideas? The good news is you have plenty of ideas –you just need to spark your memory to find them! Below are a couple of activities and templates that can help…
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My Story Influences by Dale McKinnon
Orality is why we are all pursuing the arts of storytelling. I never got to have a storyteller tell stories to my kindergarten and first grade classes. Or second, or third-grade class, or, come to think of it, any class at all. I realize that I first heard stories at home. But almost all of…