Lost! 3 Ways to Regain the Love and Skill of Storytelling

At one time or another we have lost something.

That moment when we discover something might be gone--whether for a short time or even forever--could cause the most cheerful and calm person to pull hairs, shed tears, and fly into a rage.

These emotions are natural, though what we do next determines whether something is truly lost. There is the hope of regaining and expanding what we originally had.

For other times, the loss of one thing creates room for another.

Such is the case with storytelling.

There are things we can afford to lose. We can gladly say goodbye to:
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Mediocrity

Yet sometimes, as storytellers, we hang onto the negative and do not move on so to replace the feelings with confidence, patience, and love.

Fear--"Could I ever be good enough? Am I a sham?"
We are always more critical of ourselves than others are of us. Part of human nature is the desire to do our best and to fulfill our potential. When given that moment to shine, as storytellers do on stage, there is the ever need to question ourselves. We look at the audience and attempt to analyze their facial expressions and body language to determine how best to proceed with the story. When our confidence wavers, it may emerge as stuttering or stumbling of words. Sweat may bead from our heads. The whole story may be wiped clean from memory like an erased flash drive.

Way to Regain Love and Skill of Storytelling:

Before walking on stage, remember what drew you to the story you are about to tell. Then think about the reasons why this particular audience will love this story. The audience wants you to do your best and would prefer to give a standing ovation than to boo. . .unless you are at a story slam. Then the boos are more like compliments! What to do for those times when the memory lapses? Realize that you are the storyteller and that the audience is not aware of what will come next in the story.

Anger--"I am mad at the world. . .and the world will know it!"
We might question why certain things happen to us. This innocent curiosity could suddenly dwell on our minds until it transform into anger. Some storytellers use the stage as a way to inflict such negativity to the audience. Suddenly the audience is attending and listening to an intense therapy session, and storytelling is no longer the art form on stage.

Way to Regain Love and Skill of Storytelling:
If you recognize this sensation as you tell, then take some deep breaths and use those times as "dramatic pauses". The audience would rather that you develop some control over the situation rather than plowing through whatever is left of the story to tell. The whole story itself may be one of anger, and you might need to let the audience know that the story will be changed to better suit the intentions of the event.

Mediocrity--"Everyone is a storyteller. . .so why bother?"

Who has not heard the phrase "everyone is a storyteller"? When it is heard often enough, people may not take the times to outline, explore, or practice their stories. If it is a skill that anyone can do, then why bother improving it?

Way to Regain Love and Skill of Storytelling:

Despite storytelling being an art form that has always existed, think about other art forms. Everyone can sing, though does that guarantee them a spot on American Idol as a singer? Now think about theatre. You might have had the role as one of the three little pigs in Kindergarten, though do you assume that you could compete with consummate actors like Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep? You could. . .if you practiced. For extra motivation to improve your craft, think of your role models in the art. What do you think they do each day in preparation? Transform these thoughts into action. Get a story buddy or coach that you could work with in-person, by telephone, or through the Internet.

The great ones always find a way. So go forth and "be found".

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com/

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com/

Family Famine Series Site: http://www.familyfamine.com/

Year of the Family Book: http://www.yearofthefamily.com
Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachelfans
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Diversity in Storytelling: Bridge still to be Built

Storyteller Jon Spelman stated, "A lot of people do not get a chance to be heard or to tell their story." While presenting at the 2007 East Tennessee State University Storytelling Institutes, he urged us to be willing to listen to others and to build bridges with other groups.

The Bridge
Sometimes a rushing river of misunderstanding and fear divides racial, social, and religious groups so that nothing can be heard except for shouting stories of anger from one side of the shore to the other side of the shore. Rather than raising our voices with threats and hatred from the places we stand, we could build bridges through the stories we share so that we could meet halfway, look into each other's eyes, observe views on both sides of the river, and finally return home with a new perspective.

We may still hold the same views as when we first stood on the shores without a bridge, though this time we would remember that for every issue or thought there are people, neighbors, and friends involved. You can love people and still disagree with their views.

Perhaps you will hear my story and how being part of a minority group:
1. Influences Current Repertoire
2. Contributes to Repertoire Development
3. Determines Goals for Future Public Performances

As you read my answers, please reflect how these relate to your life and feel free to share them with me.

Background
The following thoughts come at a time when I have been attacked verbally for who I am. My experience is extremely mild compared to what many of my friends have experienced in California where death threats and vandalism is rampant.

What minority group is victim to these hate crimes? Those who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also nicknamed Mormons or LDS.

Persecution is not new to those who are LDS. We have been driven from New York to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois and finally to Utah in 1847. The last few decades have been relatively peaceful as the LDS faith has become a worldwide religion with over 13 million and growing members and has contributed much in the way of humanitarian causes from the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia to dozens of hurricane rescue efforts in the United States including Hurricane Katrina to donating over 100,000 wheelchairs to developing nations to shipping 142,000 pounds of medical supplies to Myanmar and countless others.

Though the United States is a land known for freedom of religion, unfortunately this does not prevent hate crimes or people who are unwilling to listen so to understand.

I may have more boldness in my personality than those who find themselves as part of the majority. I was one out of a handful of LDS youth who attended my Wisconsin high school that consisted of over 2,000 students.

Ever since living in Utah where over 69% are LDS, it is strange to be considered part of the majority when most of my life I have been part of the minority. I do not have to explain or defend myself as much except for my online involvement as then I am conversing with people around the world.

I have been asked random questions, sometimes sincere and sometimes mocking, from middle school years to the present like "Do you have horns on your head?" or "Are you forbidden to dance?" or "How many husbands do you have?" The answers: No, No, and One.

Influences Current Repertoire
As a storyteller, I see my role as building the bridge of understanding so that others may see the other side of the shore if they so choose to listen to my stories.

Interestingly, the stories that would add most to building that bridge cannot be shared at one of the storyteller's traditional venues: public schools. Mentioning religion, particularly Christianity, seems taboo these days. This fact encourages me to approach other educational settings such as universities, libraries, and museums that are more tolerant. Diversity is often celebrated at these places.

Even among these more open venues, I am in a constant debate if some of my stories would be appropriate or welcome. One of my signature tales, "Shattered Grapes in One Row Too Many" (can be heard on left side of this blog), does not mention the LDS Church specifically though I do have lines like "It was announced over the pulpit one Sunday that volunteers were needed to help harvest the grapes in the vineyard. These grapes would be dried into over 250 tons of raisins to be shipped around the world for humanitarian causes."

Besides lines that reference my background, I merge many personal and original tales with portions of LDS hymns. Those who happen to be LDS in the audience will recognize them. Usually the hymns introduce comedy to the scene as in my story "Ere I Left" when, as a middle schooler who delivers newspapers, I encounter "the dog" and a song comes to mind that starts, "Ere you left your room this morning did you think to pray?"

At times songs mixed with stroies express views on the profound such as how to deal with the death of a loved one like when my cousin two years my senior died on my birthday while away from family at Girls' Camp. Two hymns "If You Could Hie To Kolob" (traditional or rock version found) and "How Great Thou Art" were sung with the other girls at camp in an attempt to comfort my grief.

Contributes to Repertoire Development
Two years so far I have performed at the Scandinavian Heritage Festival in Ephraim, UT. Perhaps a LDS connection would seem strange until one realizes that most of Ephraim's settlers were Scandinavian LDS pioneers. To fill four 30-minute slots of no-repeat stories, I needed to know at least three hours of folktales. Ever since this repertoire development most of my story sets, outside of this festival, include at least one Scandinavian tale due to the number of stories I know from this culture.

Then in 2006 the Cultural Arts department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent out a call for theatre, music, and visual art submissions that reflect different aspects of the church. Though storytelling was not a category listed, I determined this was a chance to introduce another art. You could say that storytelling is a minority art form.

The theatre category seemed best to pursue and rather than submitting a solo piece, I approached two other LDS storytellers, Suzanne Hudson and David Bullock, as well as two youth tellers to combine for the "Growing up Mormon" storytelling program. Part of the inspiration came from storyteller Ed Stivender as he is known for "Raised Catholic (Can You Tell?)", though he is not alone in creating those kinds of programs. Catholics, Methodists, Jews, and many other religions already have storytelling programs that express their lifestyles; people of all faiths enjoy these stories.

Though we did not become finalists with the "Growing up Mormon" program, it did open thoughts as to how my LDS background may become a more prevalent part to which I am known for in the storytelling world.

Many storytellers tell stories based on the Bible. As LDS storytellers also believe in the Bible, then these stories are possible to add to the repertoire. However, I am unaware of any stories based on the Book of Mormon that is out on the public storytelling circuit. Perhaps part of the reason is that whether or not someone is Christian, most people are aware of certain Bible stories about Noah, Moses, David and Goliath, and others. Yet, if someone is not LDS, then most likely the Book of Mormon stories with Nephi, Lehi, Ammon, and Alma the Younger are completely new. This may affect comedic, tragic, or dramatic moments if the audience receives the stories out of context.

A good storyteller could develop the stories so there would be understanding for the audience regardless of how much they know about the LDS faith.

At the annual 2006 Utah Storytelling Guild StoryFest, there was a discussion on why more LDS-related stories were not shared. It was not because there was a lack of time to develop the pieces nor in finding the venues. The most common answer: fear. More specifically: fear of sounding preachy; fear of how to delicately approach the stories in a respectful manner; fear of being blacklisted as a teller. No one voiced the following fear though I expect it was at the back of many minds: fear of being persecuted.

Other tellers who tell stories from other religious backgrounds may have these same fears, though they are strong enough to pursue the stage and letting the stories be heard.

Everyone at that StoryFest meeting agreed that more stories, that reflected our way of living, needed to be shared. Since that discussion I have not seen any results. There are many LDS storytellers inside and outside of Utah. In addition, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, one of the most successful and largest storytelling events in the United States, is predominately organized and attended by LDS people. We are not as scarce as some people think in the storytelling community. We only tend remain quiet when there is the chance to accidentally offend others or cause people to be uncomfortable. . .except when a driving force moves us forward.

Determines Goals for Future Public Performances
So what motivates us enough to step onto the stage and share our stories? What motivates you?

In times of fear or uncertainty, I turn to others for support. My husband is my greatest support while I also have my mother, father, brother and sister to cheer me on. I even conducted a one-question survey with fellow East Tennessee State University classmates if they would like to hear stories that connect with the Book of Mormon or everyday living of a Latter-day Saint. The people I approached seemed eager to hear some of these types of stories though I did not feel ready to share any at that time. There was curiosity and the possibility of having more diversity on the stage.

Storyteller David Novak advised me that rather than have programs that focus purely on LDS stories, that it may be smoother to find stories from other cultures that incorporate our values mixed with one or two that are LDS.

This may have guided me in the structure of a narrative production that I will premiere on February 9, 2009 called "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". Though I expect portions of LDS songs may be included in the program as that is part of my style, the focus will be on multicultural tales outside of my tradition. Healthy family relationships can be found in all cultures. A country in chaos sometimes is thought to not have the same levels of love amongst family members. Usually the corruption lies mainly with leadership of the land rather than what is found in the home.

Throughout story development, I will contemplate upon "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", a document presented by the LDS Church in 1995. It is my source of inspiration for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" and not something I plan to quote or distribute to those who attend the premiere or any future performances. That would be overbearing, inappropriate and harmful to me as a teller and would abuse storytelling as an art form.

Storyteller Elizabeth Ellis warns of the difference between being religious and being spiritual. Any storytelling experience could be a spiritual experience no matter what faith is mentioned, if at all. Sometimes values expressed in everyday tales provide communion.

I hope to create a safe environment for my audience so they can trust that I will not push my views from the stage and that I allow them to take what they will from the performance. In fact, I expect the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" to be such a program that even public schools would see no issues in having it presented to their students.

My LDS background will always influence, create, and develop repertoire that will reach the stage. The goal is that I will become fearless in presenting the stories that few have heard while creating a safe environment so that people realize that I love and respect all cultures and traditions.

Perhaps one day a LDS program will be as common as the other religion-based storytelling programs out there.

May we build the bridges from one group to another and be willing to step across the rushing river of misunderstanding and fear so to see from both sides.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair and Current Member of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Scary Stories: Facing Fear When the Lights Go Out

Special thanks to Olympus Chapter members of the Utah Storytelling Guild (left) including quotes from Julie Barnson, Brian J. Fetzer, Suzanne Hudson, Jan C. Smith, and Helen Taylor.

Chilling the bones with scary stories can be a thrill . . .until it is time to go to bed and face the nightmares.

If there is too much fright within a story for certain age groups, a storyteller could confront angry sponsors, teachers or parents. Storyteller Julie Barnson shared, “You can tell scary stories to children as long as you create a safe place for them. Otherwise, you may get moms who call you up and yell, ‘What have you done?’ when their kids come home shaking with fear.” As a caution, storyteller Jan C. Smith said, “Make sure the stories you will share will be okay with whoever hired you.”

So what kind of fears do adults and children share?
Here are a few:

Loss of Control (could be thoughts, actions, urges, etc.)
Loss of Love (could be spouse, family, friends, etc.)
Loss of Health/Strength (could be accidents, illnesses, integrity, etc.)
Loss of Life (could be for yourself, family, friends, pets, etc.)
Loss of Structure (could be organizations, rules, traditions, etc.)

If you were to brainstorm your own fears, you could probably list them in one or more of the above categories. By knowing your own fears from the past to the present, you will already be on your way for telling age-appropriate stories.

Here are some questions to ask:

1. What were you afraid of when you were a kid? What fears do you have now? In what ways, if any, have your fears changed?

2. Why did you have certain fears? Why do you have certain fears now?

3. What kind(s) of nightmares do you have? What sort of embarrassing dreams do you have? What does it feel like to wake up from a nightmare or an embarrassing dream?

4. How do you attempt to forget your fears or nightmares?

After answering the questions, you may want to think about how your potential audience may respond to the types of stories you plan to tell. This may be the first time you have told stories to this group so then it would be guesswork. Think about what violent current events are happening and how your audience may be reacting to these threats such as terrorism, war, school shootings, etc. If it happens to be with a group you have told to before like family or friends, then you may already know that so-and-so is afraid of big dogs, another is afraid of the dark, and so on.

Though nightmares may come regardless of what the storyteller does to try to prevent them, here are some ways to offer comfort when telling scary stories:

1. Remind kids that they are not alone in their fears

2. Encourage kids to seek comfort through people and/or object(s)

3. Know the power of the 5 senses

4. Avoid getting too realistic in the stories unless sponsors want you to cause nightmares

5. End the story session with hope or strength

6. Ask kids what specifically scares them about the stories

Remind kids that they are not alone in their fears
At the beginning and at the end of the performance, you could have audience members look at each other so that they know they are not alone in hearing these scary stories. Perhaps you could have audience members send vibes of courage to each other before walking to their cars.

Encourage kids to seek comfort through people and/or object(s)
Before you delve into the scariness of your stories, let the kids be aware of people, objects, and rituals to calm them. Storyteller Julie Barnson laughingly said, “Before the storytelling starts, the kids are tough. They are not scared. When they still have the courage, I always give them pointers of what they can do to keep away the ghosts and the evil things.”

Most likely, the kids will turn to their parents for comfort after hearing the scary stories. Parents seem to have greater power that could defeat any evil monsters. When parents are not available (or if they refuse for their kids to sleep with them), then kids can find power in objects or talismans like a blankie or a toy. These objects often represent feelings of when they were held or comforted in the past.

Storytellers Julie Barnson and Suzanne Hudson mentioned that they have learned certain tricks to lessen the nightmares through national storytellers like J.J. Reneaux and Kathryn Windham.

The late Reneaux told audiences that evil things are vain to such degree that you must place a mirror outside your bedroom door. The monster will stop to look at itself in the mirror until morning. By this time, the monster will need to hide from the sun’s rays. She also revealed that evil things couldn’t count past 12 so it is best to leave 13 of something outside of your door. The monster will have to count the items, get stuck on what comes after 12, re-count, and get stuck again until morning.

Reneaux and Windham found great power within shoes. You could place your shoes either toe-to-toe or heel-to-heel at the end of your bed. This sets up a perimeter around the bed that is impenetrable as the shoes’ placement discombobulates evilness of all kinds.

Know the power of the 5 senses
A parent giving hugs to a child is one way when there is a connection to the safe/real world and disconnection with the imaginary world. Within a hug combines sight, smell, touch, and sometimes sound (if squeezed hard enough).

Perhaps with the senses in mind, there is a new product called “No Fear Spray”. Some parents already use this idea through a spray bottle filled with water and labeled “Monster Spray”. A storyteller could do the same thing and offer to spray any audience members who may need the extra courage when returning home. Recipients could see, feel, hear and possibly taste their protection.

Avoid getting too realistic in the stories unless sponsors want you to cause nightmares
Adding monsters, ghosts, or witches to a story may actually reduce scariness for some listeners due to the lack of realism. Storyteller and librarian Helen Taylor warned, “The more realistic the scene in the story, the scarier it is for the kids.” Taylor added that you might not know which of the kids have been allowed to watch Freddy Krueger and which ones are new to any gruesomeness. She noted that the presence of a ghost or an alien might not be what is scary. It may be that later on in the story the father gets mad and throws something out the window. The true shivers may come from whatever is more possible to occur.

End the story session with hope or strength
Every story does not have to end happily. Storyteller Brian J. Fetzer could point out how many of the fairy tale Grimm tales actually end in frightful ways. However, if the storyteller has a 30-minute session, then the last story should provide some sort of feeling of peace. Julie Barnson urges storytellers to look at the ending of stories. There may be scary themes within the story, but the ending may suggest that justice has been served for the villains.

Some storytellers prefer to downplay some of the scenes within the story. Jan C. Smith has seen national storyteller Bobby Norfolk perform another version of Hansel and Gretel where there is a scene where the witch kills her own kids in their beds. Norfolk took that scene and, instead of having the kids killed, had pumpkins stabbed under the covers of the beds. This still kept the story dramatic yet took away the heavy-duty emotions behind it. Fetzer added, “You can still get the same point across but not be so violent.”

Humor through jump stories or joke Halloween stories are tools that storyteller Julie Barnson likes best for a mixed-age audience. Regardless of how she pieces her programs she recommended, “You don’t want to end with serious dread.”

Ask kids what specifically scares them about the stories
As an adult, you may find one thing scary in the story that the kids did not even acknowledge. Only when you have a more clear view of what is actually scaring the child can you give some comfort.

As a storyteller, you can linger beyond the story time so to listen to any fears the kids may have. Encourage parents to do the same thing. You might ask questions so to help kids verbalize their fears. Julie Barnson repeatedly said, “Listen to what the kids tell themselves.” She continued to share that when she was three years old, there was a picture of a witch that her mom hung up around Halloween time. Whenever she walked by it, she was scared. If only her mother had know of this fear.

For more inspiration, read “Listening to Fear, Helping Kids Cope, from Nightmares to the Nightly News” by Steven Marans, Ph.D. When immersing into the television or the Internet, the images seen and heard provide enough of a repertoire for scary stories. Marans said, “. . .I wished the world were not so ready to prove that the worst of our children’s nightmares can in fact come true” (p. 2).

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
info@rachelhedman.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com/
http://www.yesalliance.com/