In our fractured world today, broken not only along political lines, but cultural identity as well, stories can bring us back together. We’re not like “Humpty Dumpty,” even though we might think so at times. We are actually made of the same stuff, a common humanity that can connect through our personal stories. When we tell one another our experiences with a good story, our listeners walk with us.
Storytelling has been around as long as humans have. The ancients of every culture told stories to make meaning of life, to remember their history, and to entertain. A lot has changed since then, but stories haven’t. Some of the oldest stories ever told are still with us—because it’s in our nature to both tell and listen to them.
In today’s noisy, techie, automated world, storytelling is not only relevant, it’s vital. Without stories we cannot connect to each other. We lose something important; our humanity gets lost in technology. Storytelling fills a crucial need in society by providing a direct, personal connection through its art and engaging oral tradition.
Our stories don’t exist on a printed page, but in the images we’ve stored in our minds. These pictures are fluid, holographic, the instant replay loops of our experiences and dreams. They are powerful: Stories define us and create the narratives that construct our lives.
Personal stories are universal: They illuminate our common ground and connect us in compelling ways when we share them. The art of storytelling helps us communicate with others, discover ourselves, inspire and embolden us. By telling the pivotal stories of our lives, we invite transformation.
One way to share stories that resonate with a wider audience is to pair like stories with someone of a difference culture. For example, I workshopped with a fellow author, Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte, to write similar stories of childhood memories growing up in the South during Jim Crow, from a Black and White perspective. We are excited to be able to tell them in a LiveStream this Sunday, July 19th.
Please join us with a Six Feet Apart Sunday Night Stories production, Stories in Black and White.
Click here to view live or replay this FREE event: https://youtu.be/6uDUYuuTwDg
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Author adminPosted on July 15, 2020July 15, 2020Categories Personal Story, TechniquesTags Black Stories Matter, blacklivesmatter, cross-cultural