​Tell the truth. 

 

Now in my second decade as a storyteller, I am convinced that the most essential and compelling thing I can do is tell the truth. At first glance this may seem simple, even obvious, but on the contrary, it requires diligent intention and careful execution. Telling the truth is a good maxim for life in general, but in storytelling, it's the absolute essential ingredient that takes a performance from good to great. 
 
I am compelled by stories that evoke compassion, challenge engrained perspectives, and inspire hope and connection. Communities can be transformed, one person at a time, through encounters with honest, empathic, connected storytelling. I certainly know that the stories I've encountered throughout my life have chiseled meaning on my heart and mind, and I count it a privilege to carry the torch of storytelling that may hold such potential for another.

 

Telling the truth demands not shying away from the messy, complicated, dangerous, vulnerable things that make us human.  Guiding others through such a collaborative effort requires curiosity, welcoming leadership, and humility. It's a process I embrace, as I am fully convinced that the transformative power of a story is always worth both the joy and the challenge of discovering how best to tell it.

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