Last year I took a class called Storytelling. Now...my life is a little bit different, a little bit better.
In high school I was shy and hated, to the core of my being, talking in front of any thing that could be described as a crowd or audience. I shook, spoke to fast, and my voice started heading toward a pitch that only dog's are be able to hear.
In the last month I have led a meeting of my professional student group on the subject of storytelling. And on October 28th, I told "La Muerta, Godmother Death" at Bloomington's annual Festival of Ghost Stories. Both of these events went well...my heart wasn't beating out of my chest, I spoke at an understandable pace, and my voice stayed low enough for human ears.
Now, I'm not saying the storytelling alone is responsible for these changes...but I do know that two weeks ago I got up on a stage with spotlights and told a story in front of an audience.
So...what is storytelling?
Not acting.
Not memorizing.
It is sharing a story and the images of that story with an audience.
It is a long standing tradition.
It is a skill I will continue studying and sharing with others.
Yours affectionately,
A.H.
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