idealist.org

The Star of Your Own Life Story

In the mood to listen to a good old-fashioned story? Try the one about a man who discovers something about his mom while exploring his obsession with ironing. Or the story of an US immigrant remembering his grand-aunt back home in Ethiopia. Or the one about the grieving rituals women go through in Texas.


From [177] on Flickr You can find all these and more on the website of the Center for Digital Storytelling, a California-based nonprofit that focuses on the art of the personal narrative. Through educational workshops and the use of simple media tools, the group empowers everyone from grandchildren to grandmas to create video vignettes about an aspect of their lives. The results are compelling and intimate—watching is like following along while someone is flipping through a photo album.

With the aim of unearthing individual histories from Toronto's streets and buildings, [murmur] is another innovative project that connects people and places through storytelling. It works like this: while walking around the city around you might encounter an ear-shaped sign with a phone number to call. If you were to stop in front of Pepper's Restaurant, for example, you would call the number to hear a story about why this was a pivotal place for someone named Mike as he was growing up. But the [murmur] isn't just heard in Canada; already the trademark ear can be seen around cities such as Dublin, Edinburgh and San Jose.

The Center for Digital Storytelling along with the Museum of the Person is calling for the world to participate in the International Day for Sharing Life Stories on May 16th. Everyone has a tale to tell. What's yours?