Sometimes We Have to To Do The Things That Scare Us

I don't know about you but my life is looking a little bit different these days due to Covid-19. Isn't it funny how things you never planned, open up opportunities you never considered?

Being in lockdown in South Africa means that I'm not doing a whole lot of photography or filmmaking. Instead, I spent the first few weeks of lockdown doing an awesome online storytelling course by Muse Storytelling. You can even see my final project from the course on why stories mean more to me then photographs ever will. I've been telling other peoples stories for so long that this project really made me appreciate what it takes to get real and vulnerable when you tell your own. I'll be doing more of that in the future. 

After that, I started doing zoom calls on why storytelling matters with clients and how we can all get better at it. It seems like this is the time to take on the skills we've always wanted to master. For me, that's teaching. I've taught a few online classes and webinars through the years but sometimes I shy away from the spotlight. It's easier for me to share my thoughts through images, blogs, podcasts, and newsletters. So getting up in front of people is a challenge. I get nervous, even when it's virtual. 

True confession, whenever I teach a class or give a workshop. I usually wear a scarf. That's because I get so nervous that my neck gets all red and blotchy. There is physical heat and sweating people. And it's been happening to me my whole life. 

But here's the thing, I still remember what it was like to be new to this field and to try to figure it all out on your own. I've spent most of my career as a one-woman show. I'm photographing, filming, editing, writing, marketing, and managing all the needs of a small business. Oh, and I do all this while moving around the world every few years. 

I've also spent the last ten years working with nonprofits and small business owners. My clients are often strapped for funds. They're expected to do a lot with a little. We are all juggling so much!

Through the years, I've learned how to tell incredible stories. Stories that stand on their own. Even when I didn't have a big budget or production team. Sometimes, it was just me and the camera. But I learned that telling stories is a great connector. If you can tap into people's emotions, then they don't care how high tech you are. That's why low-quality internet videos go viral. Because it's not about the tech, it's about the story.

I've probably taken almost every storytelling course on the internet. I dissect and reverse engineer documentary films for fun! I even have a spreadsheet filled with storytelling resources that I've been building for years. That's how much I love this stuff. And even if it scares me, I want to share that with other people. 

I’ve started a new program called the Story Guide. If you decide to work with me as your story guide, I’ll teach you how to better understand the stories that serve you and reconfigure the ones that don’t. Together, you and I will edit and revise a foundational story from your life. I’ll also teach you the science of storytelling, a basic story formula that works every time, and give you all the skills you need to tell stories in the future.

So, I guess there's only one thing for me to do. I need to buy more scarves. I'm offering a free 20-minute call to discuss my story guide program. Schedule a time and we can see if the program is good fit for you. I believe that our stories hold the power to heal ourselves and help the world. I look forward to working with you.