Storytelling is the most basic of human activities. We do something, we tell a story about doing it. We learn or feel something, and in our quest to understand that experience, we tell stories about it, and use metaphoric language to make that experience universal.
When I tell stories I strive to connect with listeners across many levels. I want them to understand my experience, but more than that, I want them to hear my story and relate it to their own lives, turn it into a part of their own story.
Whether I am telling an ancient myth, a personal story, or a piece of original fiction, I believe these are all ultimately universal stories. While most of us haven’t literally fought dragons or married the beast we have all had to fight battles and paid dearly at various times in our lives. I believe the shared act of listening to a powerful story builds connection and community. It also gives listeners and the artist a chance to think metaphorically about experiences that might otherwise be hidden, experiences that need to be seen in the clear light of story to be understood.
My creative process is at once collaborative, improvisational, and highly personal. Working with trusted partners, I develop a story, but never memorize it, so the act of telling it to an audience is always a part of the creative process.
Storytelling allows me to connect with an audience with a fluidity not possible in any more scripted art form. The mere fact that it is something we all do makes it accessible to so many people and means I have the opportunity to touch lives in a multitude of ways.