Others – Learn from Them!

When someone asks me for advice on how to get started with storytelling, I always answer, “Two things:”

1) “Tell as much and as often as you can” – you learn about yourself, about stories you like, about how to be in front of people…and

2) “Listen as much and as often as you can to others“ – to as many other storytellers as possible.

You always, always learn something from others.

You learn things like:

• Oh, I love that, I want to try it!
• or, I never thought of that!
• or, That’s an interesting way to do it…
• or, I’d never do that!..would I?
• or, I will do my best to avoid ever coming close to doing that!   😯
• …and always new stories and new kinds of stories.

The more you listen to and tell with others, the more you learn about the joy and power and possibilities of storytelling.

This is why storytelling conferences and festivals are so valuable – so many others to learn from!

• There are local, regional and/or state events (google ’em!), as well as national events.
• In fact, the 2014 National Storytelling Conference, “Fire & Light” is taking registrations now! – it will be July 24-27 in Mesa, Arizona. (I’m honored to be leading a workshop there this year: “Interfaith Interplay: Sharing the Fire & Light of Sacred Stories.”)
• Also, for anyone interested in biblical storytelling, there isn’t a better, more-creative event than the Festival Gathering of the Network of Biblical Storytellers – this year August 6-9, near Asheville, NC (wonderful workshops there, too!)
• And I JUST got off the phone from this evening’s planning conference call of the board of Rocky Mountain Storytelling – our annual conference is just 2 weeks away- (yikes!), May 2 & 3 in Denver, CO.

I’m very excited for the opportunity to learn from Elizabeth Ellis, our featured presenter.  (And I’m delighted to be offering my workshop, “Total Recall: Exploring How Using Movement Enhances Your Learning and Telling of Stories.”)  For full info on the Rocky Mountain Storytelling conference, “Storytelling: Craft & Connection,” click here.

Conferences and festivals are great learning opportunities – but so is each and every time you get to see and hear another storyteller.

We have so much to learn from each other!

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What do you think?…

• What’s the most helpful thing you’ve learned from observing another storyteller?
• What’s an inspiration you’ve gotten from another storyteller?
• What do you think someone else could learn from observing your storytelling?

P.S. The photo above is a group of Rocky Mountain Storytellers learning from Cathryn Fairlee at the 2012 National Storytelling Network’s Western Regional Spotlight Event, “The Telling Epics Experience,” in Boulder, CO. I was excited to have won that year’s grant to bring Cathryn for us to learn from – ’twas valuable and great fun!

Thanks for reading – Pam