WORKSHOPS

Story Treasures: Finding, Nourishing, & Harvesting our Stories

A week of telling, coaching & fun. Join us at Wild Acres for a week of story-adventures – telling, listening, practice and performance, feedback and discovery!

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Every gardener knows that plants need two things: time and sunlight. The same is true for stories. Come to this week-long storytelling workshop in Little Switzerland, NC and encourage your stories to come out of the shadows. Enjoy a whole-life approach to being a teller, one in which “telling” is as much about listening to yourself and the world around you as it is about skills and preparation to tell, whether it is a family gathering, a corporate event or a storytelling festival audience. You will engage in exercises, conversations, tellings, teachings and ‘deep listening’ that nourish your being and your stories while bringing them into the light.

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This Storytelling Workshop welcomes all levels of expertise; from beginner to experienced teller. In a supportive and encouraging atmosphere, participants discover ways of being in the world that nurture their creative flow while developing skills to:

 • Find, create, learn, and polish stories.

 • Effectively integrate voice with image, gesture, and emotion

.• Embody a story and break free of memorization.

 • Engage in companion listening and appreciative inquiry

.• Activate your body as a key component of a well-told tale

.• Use your voice, breath, and silence to support the audience’s journey as they listen.

 • Experiencing the world with all our senses and taking time to notice the unfolding stories of the natural and human worlds is often a catalyst for our creativity. And what better place to engage these stories than nestled in the Appalachians, known as the oldest mountains in the world. You will also have free time to explore, take a hike to a waterfall, work on your stories with a new friend, and rest and relax as old and new stories rise up in new ways.

 

Performance Opportunity and Finishing Touches

Our week of story work and story adventure includes performance opportunities with focused individual time for encouraging, appreciative and useful feedback. And before we say our good-byes, we end our week together with reflections on our experiences and a closing ritual.

 

What participants are saying . . .

"Connie [guides] us in using our senses, our imagination and our intuition for a fresh perspective in re-visiting and re-imagining our triumphs, losses, regrets and joys. By writing, telling and listening to our personal stories, we will come to know the universal language that encompasses all of endearing friendships we had made." Asheville, NC

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"Our workshop with Connie was brimming with the poetry, laughter, quiet, memory and adventure of Story. How Connie held this overflowing container, without losing one single juicy drop, is one of the great, sweet mysteries of my life." Chicago, IL

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“It was a rich and fulfilling experience. You have a great gift for creating an environment in which it's safe to be open and honest. You're also particularly skilled in helping others use the ordinary experiences of a personal life to find common ground with everyone and anyone.” Asheville, NC

 

"Very encouraging— I can do this!” Indianapolis, IN

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"I loved your workshop. It was remarkable...

It changed my life!" Charlotte, NC