Tell us about yourself?
I’m leading a research and development project for Interactionz on person driven practice. I believe each and every one of us is made in the image of God – and is therefore of infinite value – and each and every one of us has a story to tell, if given the opportunity to share it.
What did you hope to get from participating in the storytelling workshop?
As the organiser of the workshop, I had an expectation about a concrete outcome – a collection of stories about individual journeys of people associated with Interactionz. I also hoped that the process would be empowering for the participants, as Julian Rappaport [community psychologist] says telling one’s own story is an act of empowerment, and that communities can collectively shape the narrative that is told about them and turn historical “tales of terror” into present “tales of joy”. This was the ultimate outcome I was hoping for.
Why did you choose this particular story to tell?
I told a story on behalf of Interactionz to provide a context for the stories that came forth from this workshop. I based the story around an analogy that I had developed as a way of capturing the complex history of our organisation within the context of the disability sector in New Zealand which seems to have a resonance with people – everybody seems to get the red Ferrari!
How have you changed as a result of telling and making your story?
It has deepened my belief in the power of storytelling. And I understand now that the process of telling the story (what story will I tell? What to include and what not to? Pulling together my vague and fuzzy thoughts into some order) is as important, if not more so, than the story product.
How do you think this experience will impact your journey?
This has been milestone in my personal and professional life – seeing how people are empowered through the digital storytelling process is inspirational - the impact of telling one’s own story in one’s own voice with one’s own images is not to be underestimated.
