I couldn't tell whether this was really a TIP, or a TIDBIT, so I decided it is BOTH. It's a TIP-BIT
Want to tell stories in front of big crowds? Want to be recognized as a "Storyteller"? Want to be known in the Storytelling Community? Then, as a Storyteller, you must ENGAGE!
The graphic at the right is an example of what can happen when you network and make a commitment.
Cassie Cushing began taking classes at SMCC just over a year ago. She studied and went to as many events and meetings as possible. She "networked" with lots of people, both in and out of the storytelling community. She joined NSN. She didn't just wait for the phone to ring, she went out and made her own venues. She set up a series of one-woman concerts at several coffee shops around the Valley.
Then she moved to Berkley with husband Will. She didn't stop there. In fact, she almost had to "start over" with folks in the Bay Area! Local colleagues gave her a few names, but she also made her own contacts on Facebook and through NSN. She has networked her butt off and become well known to folks in the San Francisco area.
So...what's she doing now? This Thursday she is telling with well-known, longtime professional teller Tim Ereneta at a benefit for the Bay Area Storytelling Festival. That's quite an accomplishment!
Loosely translated, Newton's 1st Law of Motion states, "An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion." Storytellers take note: Get in motion!