New Designation for Storytelling Exciting news from the National Storytelling Network ART Force!
Since 2008 the NSN ART Force (Arts Recognition Task Force) has diligently worked for increased recognition for the art of storytelling by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA).The NSN Board is pleased to announce that the NEA and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) have agreed to revise the National Standards Artistic Discipline List. Beginning in 2015, storytelling will be listed as a sub-discipline under Theatre Arts. It will also continue to be listed as a sub-discipline under Folk/Traditional Arts.
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please share your thoughts with NSN ART Force Co-chairs Mary Hamilton (mary@maryhamilton.info) and Jane Crouse (crousej@comcast.net) by June 1st. The ART Force is working to prepare an FAQ about this change in time for the NSN Conference, so your input is both welcome and needed.
Western Showcase Tellers Announced for NSN Conference Since 2008, NSN has proudly offered showcases throughout the conference day, as a way to present the talents of more storytellers in the region where our conference is being held. This has become a huge hit of the conference and an excellent opportunity for producers and story lovers in the area to appreciate an alternative to the workshops.
Tellers from the applicable states submitted their recorded stories, and the showcase committee completed their reviews. The committee is excited to announce the talented tellers who will be performing. You won't want to miss them!
Karl Behling, Sean Buvala, Harriet Cole, Pam Faro, Megan Finnerty, Stephen Gashler, Dennis Gessing, Mark Goldman, Dale Mary Grenfell, Karla Huntsman, Vance Mellen, Vanita Moore, Elaine Muray, Sandy Oglesby, Leticia Pizzino, Steffani Raff, Loren Russell, Laura Rutherford, Joyce Story, Marilyn Omifunke Torres, Liz Warren, and Kathleen Santopietro Weddel.
Teller-2-Teller Connections gets you from Airport to Hotel & Back Did you miss last week's newsletter? Need to know how local tellers can provide transportation to and from the airport for visiting tellers during the conference? Want to spend time with a new teller-friend? You're only a click away!
TOMORROW, May 20 It’s a matter of life and death: Stories of beginnings and endings
Celebrate births and deaths, the moments of transition that bracket out lives, our loves, our projects and our adventures. From stories of deaths defied or witnessed, to stories of births celebrated, we reflect on comings and goings and the near-misses that make us thankful for our own lives.
Featured tellers:
Community tellers include: Verda Boss, Marilyn Torres-Sierra, William Stollar, Elle Shelley, Richard Post, Dennis Burke, Louise Laux and more.
Full dinner menu and full bar available. It is not necessary to pay for garden admission to attend.
Summer Classes Start Next Week Got a friend who wants to learn Storytelling?
Summer classes start on May 27th at SMCC,Estrella, Glendale and other Maricopa Colleges. There are still several openings. CLICK HERE FOR INFO
Mark Goldman's classes at Glendale CC are currently full, but there are always folks who drop, Contact Mark to see if you can get in (classes are Monday & Wednesday from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM).
Women Storytellers Celebrate One Year Anniversary! Mark Your Calendars
Saturday - May 31 - 10am-Noon
Out of the Box Storytelling - Women Storytellers. A place for Christian women to get together to hear and tell of the wonders that God has done in their lives or (with permission) in the lives of others. This is a fun, exciting new way to hear six 8-10 minute personal, uplifting, faith-promoting stories about the wonders of God, and enjoy a delicious brunch! They offer fun, laughter, and a chance to win door prizes! This great event is curated by recent SMCC Storytelling Institute graduate Anne McDowell.
It's at Dobson’s Restaurant at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa from 10am - 12 Noon.
The Reviews Are In - Now What? The reviews of your storytelling performance are in! Now what do you do? Rejoice in the fact that they loved you? Get depressed because they hated you? Or perhaps something else.
When we perform, in any capacity, we get reviewed. Sometimes it is informal or unspoken. Sometimes it is formal and very outspoken. Feedback can run the gamut from great adulation, to non-committal statements like, "You did it again." Or you might get a scathing, written review in a private E-mail, public print, or a viral internet post, or many spaces in between.
How we handle and respond to any of that “feedback” is quite important. For most of us, it’s easy to accept praise. It feels good and validating. Getting negative messages is usually more difficult. It cuts at our core. It can send us into a downward spiral of doubt and depression. The emotional response can send us high as a kite, or as low as the bottom of the well. It’s easy enough to accept the praise and dismiss the criticism. But how can we say, “This person is right and that person is wrong”? Shouldn’t we consider everything that is said?
We cannot avoid responding with emotions. It is in our nature. But once we have moved through the highs and lows of all the comments, there is one more thing we should do. It is the most important part of the process, and it’s not easy. It comes from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is step #4:
Make a searching and fearless moral inventory. (The key word here is fearless.)
Often, we can do this with a good coach. Sometimes, we can do it by ourselves. But we must ask ourselves the difficult questions. What did I do that may have triggered that? How might I change it the next time? How can I be better?
In my first semester of teaching at Glendale Community College, I got some pretty tough reviews from a number of my students. I was in a real funk for several days. After the emotions settled down, I began to look at how I had performed as a teacher, and how I could make things better. I made changes to the syllabus; to the structure of the class; and perhaps most of all, to my expectations of the students.
Many of the changes I made had a positive impact on the class. It was much more fun for the students and for me this semester. The students were more enthusiastic, and excelled in the progress of learning how to tell stories.
Now the reviews from this class are in. They are both positive (more than before) and negative (less than before). The overall feedback is much better than before…but I still must do my 4th step. I cannot rest on my better laurels, I must assess what can be done to improve, and take action.
So the next time you tell, and the reviews come in, consider your options. Be considerate of your feelings. Then do Step #4. Then move into action. And then, soon, the process will start all over again!
CARPE STORY - A NEW WORKSHOP Craft a Story - Old or New - Any Genre
Save The Date - Saturday June 21st - Only $49!
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Mark Goldman will facilitate a workshop on crafting your story, from start to finish!
This 4-hour workshop will take participants through the entire story crafting process from beginning to end. All you will have to do is fill in the blanks (and answer a few important questions).
Mark will use a tested "flow chart" technique to help you "map out" your story, your characters, their relationships and all the pieces in between.
Bring a story you already tell and want to improve on. Bring a new story that is just forming. Traditional, personal or any genre will do. You can even come without a story. We'll give you some prompts to get you started.
Location:
Doubletree Hotel
320 N 44th St (44th & Van Buren)
Phoenix, AZ 85008
------------------------------------THERE'S A LOT GOING ON EACH MONTH -------------------CHECK EACH WEBSITE OR CALENDAR TO CONFIRM DATES AND TIMES ---------------------------------CALL TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS STILL ON
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
Exciting news from the National Storytelling Network ART Force!
Since 2008, NSN has proudly offered showcases throughout the conference day, as a way to present the talents of more storytellers in the region where our conference is being held. This has become a huge hit of the conference and an excellent opportunity for producers and story lovers in the area to appreciate an alternative to the workshops.
Did you miss last week's newsletter? Need to know how local tellers can provide transportation to and from the airport for visiting tellers during the conference? Want to spend time with a new teller-friend? You're only a click away!
Got a friend who wants to learn Storytelling?
Mark Your Calendars
The reviews of your storytelling performance are in! Now what do you do? Rejoice in the fact that they loved you? Get depressed because they hated you? Or perhaps something else.
Craft a Story - Old or New - Any Genre
