Everyone has a story and every story matters. A story goes beyond a collection of facts and data. It encompasses the emotions that make an experience memorable, makes it matter.
Shared storytelling takes away boundaries and brings people together in a unique way. Whether you gather with family, friends, or even strangers, it is time well spent and creates connections that may last forever.
Hosted Event
Choose a guide to center the event; perhaps a shared hobby, like cooking or gardening. You could also choose a guide that captures advice or inspiration.
The host introduces the prompt and then encourages group discussion. Each participant may also capture a personal response in their journal.
Recap after each topic to make sure the highlights of the discussion are reinforced. Allow plenty of time for interaction–that’s what this is all about.
Interview
An interview approach allows the focus to be on one storyteller. The interviewer offers the prompts to the participant. Hopefully interesting tales are told, which the interviewer can capture in the guide. This approach works well between family members. It is also a great way to encourage some cross-generational discussions. When the ‘interviewer’ is a younger person it not only offers the storyteller attention for some of their best moments, but it gives the interviewer a new perspective on a life lived in a different generation.
Solo
Of course, guides can be completed independently. It doesn’t take an audience to recall some of life’s memorable moments. It is a way to capture experiences that you may want to share later. If also is a technique to reminisce about things that have mattered in the past.
The outcomes of a good storytelling session can be many; reduced loneliness, shared camaraderie, new knowledge and insights, or just a good time. Choose your method and let the storytelling begin.
Its Worth Repeating 