Nancy’s Story

I discovered personal storytelling as a happy, accidental result of my doctoral dissertation. I was studying how comedians learn to use humor to raise awareness about social and political issues (because I believe they are really the educators of our time). One of my findings was that they draw heavily on their personal experiences (in other words, tell stories) and use certain techniques to make them funny. I’ve worked in comedy clubs and have seen how powerful this is! Audiences lower their defenses, become receptive to hearing new thoughts and ideas, and they feel emotionally connected to the comedians and to one another. I was inspired! So I set out to learn how to tell my story.

One thing I realized early in this journey was that because people have been telling stories since the beginning of time, stories provide a universal language. That means you can learn to tell a story if don’t already know how. (I’d love to tell you the story of how I came to see that.)

It may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s not – storytelling changed my life. I used to be terrified to speak in public and now I’m a confident public speaker. (I get the normal amount of nerves beforehand, but those are the healthy kind that propel me forward.) I’ve become more observant and pay more attention to details as I go through my day and listen more closely to people as they speak. This gives me more material for stories and has also helped me be more creative. When I’m telling a story, I’m just being me and that has made it easier to connect with people in a way that is honest and authentic. As author Patti Digh said, “The shortest distance between two people is a story.”

I know the difference storytelling has made for me and I’d love to facilitate that transformation for you.