Art is not limited by state budgets, the few hours of life apportioned or others acceptance. The only limitation of art is our desire to embrace art as we know it and to love that expression that calls us into our passion – into our being – into the voice of God. Of all the arts, storytelling is the most able to thrive despite budgets cuts, institutional ignorance and community apathy. Storytelling brings people together and serves as a beacon for community healing.
To be an artists is to give yourself over to a creative process that promise no fruit with each effort. But instead enlightens our lives with a gift that can only be declared – soul. Art in it’s purist form is God’s hand in our mortal lives. A living testament that their is more to our lives then this simple physical frame. To be an artist is to see the world, not only as it is – but as it can be or will be by our will.
Art makes meaning where there is none, gives power to the powerless, heals wounds long scarred, and above all hold love triumphant for the entire world to see. Successful art brings people together through compassion, forgiveness and understanding. Art and storytelling is held and holds community in it’s sacred trust. Art binds the sinews of the mortal world into a tapestry that ancestors hold in their immortal coil.
When we examine what it means to be dyslexic in a modern society we find ourselves looking at an entire class of creative types who are artists by definition. Though their creative efforts may be far from what society defines as “art”. They as a group fall in the range of artist by their very necessity of invention. Their inability to fit with the bounds of normality causes them to rush into the worlds of creativity that others will never experience. Not to say that to be dyslexic is to be born a painter, actor, poet or artist. Far from that. Dyslexics make the best storytellers by the requirements of the world bent down upon them.
Storytelling is the refuge of sinners and survivors. Storytelling is an art long associated with lying and dishonesty. Oral Narrative is held in disrepute for the same reasons it is so widely successful. The ease at which storytelling can be adapted and used to support the powerless and the oppressed is the same ease that allows sinners and con artists to bends it to their will.
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The Art of Storytelling Show has had over 115, 000 downloads since it began podcasting in 2007. Created by Brother Wolf (Eric Wolf) in the spring of 2007 , the show brings the best and brightest of the storytelling community to the world stage.
The Art of Storytelling Show is the world’s sole interview- format show dedicated to exploring the art and science of storytelling in all its forms. With over a hundred interviews available for listening to online at http://www.artofostorytellingshow.com, this podcast is becoming the premier resource for understanding and practicing the art of storytelling worldwide.
World-wide listenership of the Art of Storytelling Show continues to climb with over 44,000 downloads in the second half of 2009. International participation in the audience of the Art of Storytelling show has climbed to 37% despite the URL and name change. Here is a map of countries with more then 85 downloads in the last six months of 2009:
Press Play to hear Eric Wolf speak on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf show and how you can be more involved.
Dear Friend of Storytelling
I am pleased to tell you that the show has passed over 100,000 life time downloads and has over a 1000 regular listeners. The 100 episode is rapidly approaching and I would like to invite you to participate in it.
This is a lover letter of sorts…
I love those who give back to those who give of themselves…
Well – see what happens when a summer project turns into a fall release the name of the show has changed. Early release woudl have been better I guess. This is part 2 of the course.
I am happy to share the latest number from the show. For the last 3 months we have been running over six thousands downloads a month Currently listeners are in over 104 countries world wide. The average released episodes has 1000 listeners with 26,000 downloads since June 1st.
Thank-you for all of those who have been so supportive. I have changed the name of the show.
As of two days ago the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf is the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf. The name has been changed to help with audience identity and growth.
Finally – the many of the episode CD’s of the show will be for sale in the National Storytelling Festival Marketplace tent. Make sure that you stop by the tent at the Market Place and buy and pick up a CD!
Last summer I pushed for the recording of important sessions of the National Storytelling Network’s (NSN) 2008 Conference I was recording my session on the future of storytelling online for this podcast. I figured why not do a little more? I exhausted myself and recorded the membership session and the regional NSN rep session. These recording are the property of NSN. Unluckily I work for myself like most artists and it took me two months to edit the work – then having finished it – I promptly forgot about it. Finally in November I got my copies to the NSN board. Jo Radner, the NSN board chair was very excited about getting some key sessions recorded. I got the feeling the board would have liked faster service – but you know the old saying you get what you pay for and I was free.
Others recorded the Keynotes and the Master storytellers concert. I don’t know what happened to these files. I’m sure the NSN got a copy of them somewhere. The master storytellers performance – Doc McConnell’s last performance – was almost not recorded! I saw the volunteer putting his equipment away before the performance, and when I asked why, I was told by NSN volunteers that the storytellers would never agreed to their work being recorded.
So I walked up to each storyteller and asked them for permission to record their performance “for NSN” with any other uses to be worked out later. They all said yes with a great deal of passion and Doc McConnell said we could do anything NSN wanted with his recording. I’m sure I was too pushy for bystanders
The reality is that storytelling has an advantage over other art forms, because new work is always being created. We all have material that we have not performed in years. We all have stories that were once primary to our performance, but now no longer capture our attention. What if all of that material was still available? Mostly I try to downplay storytellers’ fears by asking this one question: Reframing the whole debate… Do you want to be a part of the historical record?
That is how I would frame this debate over recording conference sessions.
Five years from now if this material is available will it still matter to you? Won’t you be on to other things? Wouldn’t it be nice to have this historical moment recorded? The question is not “Do we record our conference sessions?” The question really is ”When do we release our conference sessions? One year? Two years? Five years from now?”
The storytelling skill set is timeless – the skills and abilities we have today will not, unlike computers, internet or blogging, become old fashioned – they are ageless. I personally know that the storytelling movement has a lot to offer the world and think it’s time we stepped up to the plate to offer our skills. NSN or any other national organization could be the vehicle for that delivery. Who ever builds a content delivery system around the art of storytelling first will win that race and be the source for the international storytelling movement for the next twenty years. My website www.artofstorytellingshow.com is well on the way to being the source for all things relating to storytelling with children, but what about storytelling with seniors, in business, marketing, or any of a dozen different topics that I have not had time or resources to cover in the depth that should be covered?
NSN could be so much more then a network, using it’s conference it could bring the separate candles of the storytelling community into a bright light that would shine forth across the world.
Would you like to be a part of a storytelling conference call that supports you in your use of storytelling? If so, then enter your name and email address and you will receive personal invitations to participate in The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf Conference call – most Tuesdays at 8pm Eastern.
I will not share or give away your email address.
And don’t forget to subscribe by iTunes or your browser to The Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf so you can get bi-weekly inspirations from Bother Wolf direct to your desktop. Read the info on the right to find out how. It’s free and it’s super simple.
If you’re a storyteller with a webcam, you can record your stories and post them on-line. It’s remarkably easy. Since July I have been busily recording stories and songs, making up for years of talking myself out of it because of the expense, the time commitment and my nervousness in front of the camera. Now the videographer is me, the venue is my own home, and telling to the webcam is as natural telling in front of a mirror.
Videos are a way to reach a far, far wider audience than you ever dreamed. Through my presence on storyteller.net, ProfessionalStoryteller.ning, Facebook and, most of all, YouTube, I have told to people in unexpected places such as Qatar, Croatia, Argentina and Indonesia. I have also forged new friendships with other storytellers. I absolutely Read more »
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Storyteller Contact Information
Brother Wolf Storytelling
Eric James Wolf
P.O. Box 711
Yellow Springs, Ohio. 45387
(937) 767-8696
Some overseas storytellers and storytelling presenters have found email to be blocked by spam filters. If you wish, you can also reach me in a few days at
Brother Wolf, Extra Articles, International Storytelling, Professional Development | Brother Wolf | 
January 31, 2010 6:20 pm | 
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