Every semester, I have the pleasure of teaching an undergraduate course called “Storytelling as Healing.” Twenty students enter the classroom as apprehensive strangers. They leave as a community. “I feel as if I am taking a piece of each of you with me from your stories,” said one of the students this semester.
This is an experiential class that meets for two and half hours once a week. It’s a long time to pay attention! Even as the instructor. I laugh when they sometimes (not always) say “the time passes so quickly, it’s not like my other class that actually feels like two… and… a… half… hours…” They exaggerate those last words, but time does disappear when we have fun with stories. Starting in small groups, we listen the stories out of each other; we craft the stories; we play with the stories; we work them into art. We find the story moments that we can grow into personal stories. Then, after a few classes, we sit in circle and share. What do I teach along the way? Invest in failure: the first version gets the rough draft out of your head. Stories are alive; they grow and change with you. Sometimes you don’t know what you are going to say until you say it. Creative feedback is positive feedback; the art of giving appreciations changes the way that you listen. Your words matter; you matter.
Before we talk about the healing power of story, they have experienced it. “I meet people in this class; I found community.” I smile, because that is my intent. In a world where we are often digitally connected but still experiencing loneliness, my goal is to create the safe space to remember what it is like to be present with each other in body, mind, and spirit. We experience the power of story to create a room where we are no longer strangers.
After the module on personal stories, we move on to explore folk tales–making the old stories new again. “I used to think folk tales were boring.” We travel the world by story to different cultures and uncover the wisdom of the old tales. Finally, we move on to historical stories. “I thought history was just names and dates, but now I realize it’s just stories.” From family history to witch trials to Emu wars, the students bring passion to topics that they are interested in. They will be the next generation to decide which stories will continue to be told.
I am blessed to experience a beautiful gift from each of my students; they share something of themselves–their stories.
This semester, my heart is so full that I want to share the stories with you in a new podcast. “Storytelling Medicine: where stories are the medicine” is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Take a listen. Experience the healing medicine. Leave an encouraging comment and share your own stories.