I am onstage doing a presentation about myself, answering the question “who are you?” to a group as part of my theatre training. I struggle to answer this question on how to present myself, how do I talk about me? In the end I lay a paper cutout of myself on the floor and start talking about my figure in the third person – ‘she is a restless woman; she travels around the world…’
Jump forward a few years. I’m now experienced in theatre, communication and storytelling. And another occasion arises to present myself but this time I talk about myself from within myself, in the 1st person –
“I am a restless woman, yearning to find the ground beneath my feet” …
What difference do you notice about the tenses used?
Speaking From Within
When a story is told about something, it becomes like a specimen.
When a story is told from within it has a life of its own, meandering down pathways of memory alive with senses.
The shift to within is small in language but seismic in consequence:
We stop narrating life as observers and start midwifing it as participants.
Sharing from within your story transforms communication because it loosens qualities of detachment that occur when talking conceptually, theoretically, hypothetically about a topic.
It invites the listener into a shared field of experience. We tap into the listener’s sensory driven imagination and memory, vibrating with the aliveness of intimacy – like a bee drawn deep into the flower.
Transformation can happen not just because the story was told,
but in telling, we loosen the grip of certainty. Because stories from within are living breathing beings that come to live differently with every new audience. This style of story sharing enlivens the relational field of connection and communication.
Wicked Elephants use the metaphor of POLLINATION to describe this style of storytelling
WE created a wonderful program called – Story Pollinators
WE recently finished a series; this is what people said…
FH, Sydney – For me, this was not only about the story you tell others but also the story we tell ourselves
Helen- fantastic program with expert guides!
Elly – I’d never really thought about my “origin story” before I did this training. Caresse and Johanna created a space and crafted an experience that was both safe and inspiring so I could bring it to life. Some parts were challenging, others fun and all of it meaningful. This felt like such a gift to myself.
