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Connecting through
Storytelling
by Donna Thomson
Storytelling is an ancient art and tradition
found within all cultures of the world, used to bring people together, to teach,
to carry on an oral history of individuals, families, communities and the world,
and of course for enjoyment. Sadly, storytelling has become almost a ‘lost art’
and elders are passing away without having passed on their stories to the
younger generations. As times have changed, younger generations have lost the
great respect they had for their elders and communication gaps have increased
dramatically.
It’s time to unite the generations again and bring people of all ages together –
to increase understanding, compassion and respect. Storytelling is one way of
doing this – of connecting generations and communities by sharing from the
heart. This is the belief of storyteller Anna Jarrett who has shared some of her
wisdom, advice and experiences about the art of storytelling with us in the
following interview…
What sorts of messages can be conveyed through storytelling?
“Any message can be more easily delivered and received through storytelling. The
diverse tradition of stories and storytelling genres reflects the depth and
diversity of human experience and expression of that experience. In stories we
find lessons about love and hate, peace and war, friends and enemies, success
and failure. Layers of messages are often encoded within the symbols of the
story and these messages are received and understood by the listener in stages,
depending on one's own life experience and readiness to listen.”
Does someone have to be born a storyteller (e.g. have a natural ability to
weave tales) or can anyone learn to do it?
“We all have stories to tell. Some of us are natural communicators and
Storytellers. Some of us have to learn the art. Some of us have an innate
understanding of the art simply by being brought up within a storytelling
culture. I believe that anyone can learn to tell a good story if they focus on
the stories they really want to tell. Not everyone can be a professional
storyteller/entertainer or a story facilitator but we can all enjoy learning to
tell a story in a way that will engage other people.
When I decided I wanted to be a professional storyteller, I sought the company
of tellers from around the world, who taught me all about the oral tradition and
its many forms of delivery. I have always been a natural communicator and
performer but it has taken me awhile to learn the subtle, beautiful art of
weaving a really good tale and understanding what it means to speak deeply from
my heart.”
What is your most memorable storytelling experience with young people and why
was it special?
“I enjoy sharing stories and working with stories with people of all ages. The
most memorable moments are when I see the flashes of wonder and understanding in
people's eyes and when I see people laughing together and sharing the whole
story experience.
On a personal level, my most memorable moment was when I started bedtime reading
and storytelling to my baby girl and her eyes lit up and she smiled and cuddled
up to hear some more. It was a moment of sharing the magical story world and all
the possibilities which live in the realm of story.
On a professional level, the shows and workshops which I remember the most are
the ones when young people feel excited and empowered to share their own
stories. One night at a Young Naturalists Camp, after telling stories, every
child had a story of their own which they were inspired to tell and so the night
became a long and wonderful one with some fantastic stories and storytelling!
The other memorable moment was when I did a storytelling residency at a middle
school in America, focussing on ghost stories. By the end of the week, a handful
of teenagers were ready to tell their own ghost stories (many were true) in
front of the whole middle school - 250 kids!. The lights went out and the
stories unfolded. In the middle of the show in the middle of a story there was
an uproar and the lights had to be turned back on to separate two fighting girls
and bring them back to safety. With the problem addressed, I asked the whole
group if they wanted to hear the rest of the stories and they did. I asked the
tellers if they wanted to tell the rest of the stories and they did. The lights
went down again and the magic of the stories continued to unfold. How brave all
the new storytellers were. Everyone left full of the excitement, the connection
and the wonder which storytelling brings.”
What do you feel is unique about storytelling as a way for older generations
to communicate with the younger generations?
“Storytelling is a way of communicating from the heart. When we share our
stories with someone we love, and they listen, we learn about each other and
share feelings and thoughts about our lives. Life is changing so rapidly,
sometimes it helps to hear a story to make sense of things, to give a little
structure to a chaotic world, to offer a fresh perspective on ways of seeing and
being. When we share stories about ourselves and our feelings, we become very
real, and in some ways raw. It’s always comforting to know that someone else has
experienced a similar feeling, whether it be sorrow, joy, anger or
disappointment. It’s also comforting to hear how someone else has coped with
difficult situations. Sharing stories is a gentle way to offer guidance and
insights into life's lessons. We can learn a lot from listening to each other.
Learning to listen and making the time to listen is part of what makes
storytelling unique. It’s quality, intimate, connected time in a hurried high
tech often impersonal world.
I recently recorded my Granma telling her life stories and in listening, I
learned so much about Australian history, family culture, people relationships
and most importantly of all, I was reminded that we are all connected. Within
our family we find parts of our own story from the past and with this
information, sometimes we travel more easily on our journey into the future.”
What advice or tips would you give to parents and grandparents who would like
to pass along some of their life experience and family history to younger
members of the family?
“Start a family album with a selection of photos from key moments in your life.
Write short anecdotes under these photos which tell a little of your story and
give the photos meaning. Leave the album out in the lounge room for young people
to look through at their leisure. Make an album of their life too and swap photo
stories. My five year old daughter loves all our photo albums especially the
little photo story books which I make which retell the story of one experience
like My visit to Granma's in New York. She also loves the album with all the
family history photos. Many of the people she's never met but she loves to hear
about them.
Have a family slide or movie night with a selection of really good photos which
have great memories. I grew up with family movie nights and it was the one time
all eight children gathered peacefully with Mum and Dad, laughing and sharing
all kinds of stories. What a great memory.
Ask someone in the family to video you telling some of your favourite stories
which you'd like the family to always remember you by. It might be helpful for
you to hire an oral historian to do this professionally. I have been privately
commissioned to do numerous life story recordings and the individual's have
found it empowering and easy to tell their story to someone who is "neutral"/an
objective listener.
Tell family stories around the dinner table. Light the candles and take the time
between dinner and dessert. It’s a great time for listening and sharing.”
What do you hope to achieve as a storyteller and what are you most passionate
about?
“Oh my goodness, where do I begin? I guess the main motivation for being a
professional storyteller is to help make a better world through storytelling and
story sharing. My work focuses on cultural harmony, environmental connection,
personal healing, celebration and community building. I am passionate about
story as a very powerful tool for facilitating change on a personal and global
level. I am passionate about sharing the joy and sense of connection which I
feel when I tell stories and when I hear stories. I wish for many more people to
share stories and to help keep storytelling as an integral part of our culture.
As long as we have our stories, we have a way of making sense of this world and
framing all our world experiences as one big story. A story which is constantly
changing. A story which we have the power to create through our thoughts and our
actions.”
Our thanks to Anna Jarrett for the above interview. Find out more about Anna at
the bottom of the page.
Listening to Others’ Stories
Cultures, communities and individuals around the world are now starting to make
use of digital technologies to help tell their stories. The internet provides
people with a tool that not only allows them to reach their immediate family and
community, but to reach others that they may never meet in person, but who they
can connect with through shared stories. It’s also a wise tool for older
generations in appealing to younger generations who are attracted by multimedia
technology.
In Australia, there is a new website which features Dreamtime stories as
animated movies – stories of love, loyalty, duty to country and aboriginal
custom and law from Central Arnhem Land. With the catchphrase, ‘Ancient Stories,
New Voices’, Dust Echoes has the aim of “bringing everyone back to the same
campfire - black and white. We are telling our stories to you in a way you can
understand, to help you see, hear and know. And we are telling these stories to
ourselves, so that we will always remember, with pride, who we are." (Tom Lewis,
actor, musician, Indigenous consultant)
The Aboriginal peoples of Canada also have a website
where stories have been collected from the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit
peoples of the country to continue to storytelling tradition that has been lost
to many as their elders pass away without passing on their stories. Rosa and
Melvin John are First Nations storytellers who specifically talk about the
importance and sacred art of storytelling, the act of storytelling and the
qualities that are important to storytelling such as pride, humour and healing –
see http://cado.ayn.ca/melvinrosa_john.asp
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image has a Digital Storytelling program
that guides people through creating their own stories using multimedia, focusing
on community stories, family history and wisdom gained through personal
experience. You may be inspired to create your own stories like the ones found
on their website.
Share Your Stories
We hope this article inspires you to share your own stories! Peaceful Willow
would like to share your stories, to increase unity between young and old,
brother and sister. If you have a story to share from your heart, please send us an email
About Anna Jarrett
Anna Jarrett is an internationally acclaimed storyteller based in NSW,
Australia. Anna is dedicated to bringing a storytelling culture back into our
communities and does this via story circles, school tours, community cultural
projects, oral history projects and more! See Anna’s
website for more
information
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