Thoughts On Storytelling | Crop + Create Keynote From April 2021

How fascinating. It has peaked my curiosity. Thanks for sharing what you know.

OMG loving these sessions & this is my favourite so far. I will definitely be watching it again. I have changed my scrapbooking from many photos on the page to telling stories, but I still struggle with finding a style, finding a rhythm, which I dare say, just takes practice. Eternally grateful to you for all that you share! Thank you. xoxo

Ali,
Thank you for letting us listen in on your "Thoughts of Storytelling Keynote Speech." It was amazing. Over the years I have struggled with the idea of scrapbooking, because I didn't want a "pretty picture book" of my life, I wanted the words of my life - my thoughts, concerns, observations, good & bad feelings, and how I coped with what I was learning about me as it happened.
I didn't want to fill oodles of journals, because I didn't want to just "dump my feelings" on page after page, without heading towards a positive outcome. So I dabbled in all three without a sense of forward motion.
A few years ago, I decided to keep a life-log (copy) of each letter/email I wrote. Sometimes I would include the replies I received or even the entire conversations. I wrote using a Word document for the full year's worth of communication. What I have noticed is a big change in me, as well as in my writing and, how it fits into my "scrapbooking."
I do write from the heart. Too often I have no idea what I am about to say, yet words flow onto the pages with ease. I rarely feel the need to "re-write/edit" except for punctuation, spelling and spacing. My stories are uplifting me and others. I enjoy the process of writing. I now look for photos or images that support my writing, instead of forcing a story out of the need to explain a photo. Mr. Gibbs, is correct. I no longer feel as if I have to explain or justify my life.
I do like to share what I've learned and how I figured it out. I love to share "what I see in my world" and how it makes me feel. I've moved away from some hidden depression to celebrating, every morning, when I wake up to another day.
You and Stacy Julian have helped me to understand the importance of story over the years. But until I started to keep my log, I didn't pay enough attention to the story, or the neuro and chemical changes it could bring to me. Ha – who knew that one?!
I loved your talk today and I learned from your talk today. I celebrate that I had already discovered a path from my heart that filled me with curiosity and reflection. Thank you for being a part of my crafted story for over a decade - as a teacher, a storyteller, a guide, and as a kindred spirit.
With a heart full of appreciation, Lorna

Ali,
Thanks so much for sharing this! I used to think, because I don't have children, my story didn't need to be told. Your teaching has helped me to do an 180 degree turnaround on my thinking. I've learned that 'your storytelling and aspirational approach' to memory keeping is so much more than storing photos with titles and dates in an album. I've learned that telling our stories helps us to become better humans, and who needs a better reason or more inspiration than this?!
As a trained therapist, I've found some resources which may answer some of your curiosity about the benefits of writing. This research is mostly around expressive writing - writing about difficult experiences in clinical or therapy settings. James Pennebaker did pioneering work in this area with college students (See his books 'Opening Up by Writing it Down' and 'Expressive Writing'.) Kathleen Adams has a series of texts on Expressive Writing which sites research (see Expressive Writing: Foundations of Practice even has a chapter by Linda Joy Myers; Your Brain on Ink may also be of interest)
I'm so thankful that you've shared your gift of your scrapbooking approach and storytelling voice with the world. We are all richer for it. I've been hooked since taking your "Lens of Joy" class years ago. And your Story Camp was simply amazing!! You and your classes are just the best by far!
Thank you and all my best, Cindy

Hi. Thanks for sharing this - love it when you get excited about what you are thinking/creating/sharing. I wondered if you could expand upon the ideas of journalling of discovery and exploring life, rather than explaining and justifying, perhaps in another half hour Friday session? I think I do the latter, but would like to do the former. What Words should I be using to get the discovery/exploring going? How does a paragraph look different when written from a justifying/explaining angle? It might be even a class from you in the future! Many thanks. Victoria

Oh wow! Ali, I had no idea you went to OSU for marine biology...so did I! Then, I discovered anthropology and the English department and my direction in life shifted (plus, that art history class I took). I miss you (and your mom) and hope that we'll have a chance in the future to hang out and reconnect. Meanwhile, I love what you're up to business/YouTube wise these days. Makes me so happy to see you out here. =)

You have totally aced 'awesomeness'. Thank you, we all tell better stories of 'awesomeness' thanks to you.