Score or vote, can be destructive...

Title of this video : Freeman & Barnet Discuss This Destructive Pattern

It is a bit long, but so attractively told! and it is such a true experience and common to all of us.

I loved the discussion, so human, and I think, so true: when you think "how will I score relatif of the others" or "how was I relatif to..." you are no more all in it while telling and do not enjoy so much the experience after it either.

So, should we vote or not for the "best..." ? Unless I am the one who get the award and very proud of it, I think not... and even then, I remain sometime thinking "but he was best". Personally, next time it does not matter so much to me and I analyse what I did not do well, yes, it is true, instead of what I did well.

Anyway, it does not matter so much, but what a nice pair of men telling here that story of theirs!

Paula, short film in True Tales from Grant Whisky

Grants Whiskey True Tales on Facebook

Grants Julie2 from geronimo london on Vimeo.

I was very unhappy about the tale as I told it, here, at the beginning. And it took three hours to do it in a cold windy morning in the park. Again, and again,freezing, but with no public to assist and give back energy to me.

The beginning of the original tale was cut to make shorter, some of the tales of her struggles with the Maire of the small village too, the whole tale becomes thus a lot less dramatic. One can follow and understand less well how, because her sad childhood she got a lot better education then girls in that period mid 18xx and, because her education she knew that barley can make whisky or alcohol and also learned enough to be able to manage an Alcohol Distillery, after she lost her husband early in her life, when my grand mother was just 14 years old.

But the film in itself is beautifully put together by a pro team.

So it has its advantages over the sound track of my original tale. Please also go to the Grants Whisky website on Facebook and vote for me, then perhaps, I get to tell it again before a life audience in Manchester in the fall.

And yes, I got to get paid for the three hours of work, on the spot, and perhaps also for the weeks of preparation before to construct the tale. It is my personal tale about my great grandmother, always an inspiration for me.

Personal storytelling with Spark London

Johanna organizes the Spark London personal storytelling events, finding wonderful stories and people telling them. At least twice a week now. Every 1st Monday of the month at Canal Cafe Theatre, 7 minutes each, with a repetition before the delivery day, and every third at Brixton, Upstairs at Ritzys, what is called "open mic" for 5 minutes where all present can pitch in.

Yesterday, I did not tell any story, I listened.

It was a wonderful program with different, varied tales. Most important to me, two of my collegue Toastmasters from my club, whom I introduced to the Canal Cafe Theatre storytelling event, presented their tales. I was so proud of them! Interesting tales and so well told too!

Great feeling, to see and listen to them speak, tell the tale a lot better then I heard before, communicating really with the audience. Great audience too, laughing, cheering, reacting.

As I listened to the audience too, this time a bit more relaxed then when I was speaking, I have heard them laught and enjoy themselfs in, for me a bit weird places. Weird? Not complectly, but let us say, interesting.

After the event finished, with glasses from the bar downstairs in their hand, a few of those in audience came to me, telling me how they enjoyed my storytelling. "But I did not speak today!" They remembered other times when I did, they remembered phrases I said that they particularly enjoyed.

"When you spoke about that Elena and the table, you know" - I almost forgot that telling... "I loved when after what happened you told us 'and then I decided and went all the way with my boyfriend.'" That phrase was remembered the most from my sad tale, that was that made all laugh and feel releaf, and in all enjoy my tale.

Yesterday also, there were small details and phrases that made the audience laugh!

So it is up to us to find them, cherrish them, add them so the rest of the serious content and message is remembered, linked to them.

Yesterday evening I was so proud and happy to have my two collegues on the scene and making the audience react!

Impro Workshop level 1

Impro Workshop, a set on Flickr.

Learning, understanding the basics of Improvisation, was our goal, as well as going out and meeting new people and methods.

Two very long days.

In centre London, or rather north, qt 10 and home almost at eight pm. Not always so easy for an - almost - 77 year old. But I made it quite well, thank you. And doing so, gave courage to those younger then me, who at the same time accepted me easily as one of them.

How all that will be used of applied is to be seen, thought, tried out, but already I observe differently the others attitudes on the train.

Attitude

One never knows for sure, what can learn from a workshop, where can lead something in which one's enters.

Two days of Impro class the whole weekend, from ten to six, long time but very useful and most interesting. Looking at others, trying out what is suggested to us, we learned so much already the first day! And so many ideas that I can bring back to my club and its members. Help them, develop, sometimes the attitude we show or play can give very strong messages, even without listening.

She made us say the same words, twice, with two different attitudes, all changes!

What a great lesson!

I am looking forward to today's long day, yes, even if I am tired from time to time, it is really worth it.

What is your story?

Having a story to tell is important.

The story does not have to be long, but has to grab the listener and imagine himself there. The story of the lady accidented with her two legs broken and her mouth closed in the hospital, near a young mother who told her about the problems to find for her children the right clothes, that gave her the idea of opening a website with children clothes, is compelling. It brings imedeate sympathy to her and her clothes. (Stories from this morning TV about Web.)

Yes, it is important to have a story.

That is why, instead of the usual blabla about the importance of our guest and his titles, I will tell a few short stories about our first, and some subsequent encounters. I have to find the right words now to transmit the strong image I have in mind to the minds of the audience to whom I tell it. The stories in my mind, from the time they suddenly came to me yesterday afternoon, energized me, again.

Who I see? Who others see?

what the mirror gives back, what the reflection on floor gives and how others see me?

in fact, all see me differently

to some I am reliable and warm, always ready to suggest, to help, for others I am an impossible person wanting to change everything, persistent and annoying

So who am I?

probably all of those... depending of whom sees me or gets nearby

persistent, going with determination in a direction, sometimes "impossible" as seen by some others is the character of many creative people and of many leaders

we lead and not follow...

we help and learn and never stop

yes, I understand that can annoy some who have other ways from which they do not want to go away, who are in a bubble of their own,

Can I go in other directions? Often

Do I find solutions that seem to far fetched to some? But most of the time they do work