Creative Narrations

The Echo of the Beginning: Birth Stories from Redcliff, WI

Jen — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 21:27:46 +0000

Last summer, we worked together with the RedCliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa as their maternal home visiting program gathered local stories about birth and parenthood. Local public health leader Isaiah Brokenleg joined Jen Nowicki Clark as a co-facilitator. We held a three-day workshop in the health clinic, helping out with the kids so their parents could focus on their writing for a bit, and the participants created 10 different stories about their experience with birth, from the perspectives of moms, dads, elders- surrounded by family and friends or all alone, exploring the conditions of feeling supported in their decisions and emotions. These are important topics that touch many people’s lives but, as the maternal health program noticed, we need new ways to start talking about them. So why not start with our stories? After the stories were created, we held a public screening event at the local casino. We created a discussion guide and customized it for those particular stories and produced and packaged 100 DVDs to be distributed and used throughout the community as a way to engage new parents, and anyone who is able to support new parents (which, really, is everyone.) You can see the stories here: https://vimeo.com/channels/zhv

Creative Narrations Articles

Tasha — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 14:00:56 +0000

As reflective practitioners, we collaborate and write as frequently as possible on a wide range of our initatives. Please see below for samples of our writing.

Stories for Healthy Change was originally published in the Northwest Journal for Public Health and describes the Mapping Our Voices for Equity initaitive in King County, Washington. The full article is available for download here.

Getting our Stories on the map was a keynote lecture delivered at the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling, Storytelling & Activism Symposium 2015. Download the lecture or access the slides.

Our Stories, Their Decisions: The Better Questions, Better Decisions Voter Education Initative is available for download. This article was originally published in Telling Stories to Change the World, (eds. Solinger and Fox, Routledge Press 2008)

Bridge to Health

Tasha — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:03:11 +0000

AngelaTF.mp4

Producer:

Angela Han

International Communty Health Services

Angela never saw herself as a dance instructor, but watch as she gives line dancing lessons to dozens of seniors in Seattle's International District as part of a diabetes prevention effort.

How this story is being used for change:

Angela made this story in a train the trainer workshop for Mapping Our Voices for Equality, an online map and tool for tobacco and obesity prevention in King County. Her story, along with dozens of others, will be embedded in a Google map and used to promote health equity through education and advocacy.

In Their Own Time

Tasha — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:47:31 +0000

Jeana.mp4

Producer:

Jeana Johnson

Center for Health Training, Community Resource Group

Jeana tells what she learned in the Peace Corps in Zambia from the women she was there to "help".

How this story is being used for change:

Jeana's story is an excellent tool for discussion and reflection about the role of volunteers in international development.

One Size Does NOT Fit All

Jen — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:28:22 +0000

Mary's Final Story 2.mp4

Producer:

Mary Bouley

University of Arizona BIOME and BIO5 Programs

"Then, something troubling came along. Noise about accountability had been building for several years. The explicit message was: 'Schools and teachers are going to be held accountable'. Sounds reasonable enough. We should all be accountable, right? But the message we heard at Lawrence was 'Clearly you all don't know what you're doing, or the kids would be doing a lot better..." In this story, Mary tells us how No Child Left Behind affected the lives of students and teachers working with her at the Lawrence School in Tucson, AZ.

It's My Story Every Day

Tasha — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:05:58 +0000

Karry.mp4

Producer:

Karry Trout and Lois Medina

Mason General Hospital, Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Karry's daughter Ella was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was eight months old. In this story, Karry opens up about the difficulties of having a child with a disability, and the need to connect with others.

How this story is being used for change:

Karry is showing this story to her patients at Mason General as a way to have them open up, share their own stories, and create pieces to use for education around early detection and prevention.

Lucky Me

Tasha — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:04:45 +0000

Christine_small.mp4

Producer:

Christine Loredo

International Community Health Services

Christine was born lucky, in the year of the rabbit. She tells of how this luck has followed her from growing up in the Phillipines to Seattle where she now works with ICHS to help others who are less fortunate.

How this story is being used for change:

Christine and ICHS will be showing her story to new employees as a way to recruit and motivate staff. ICHS is using digital stories for health promotion and community building in Seattle's International District.

Despite the Sunny Weather....

Tasha — Thu, 20 May 2010 22:54:09 +0000

"What an intense three days! But somehow arriving back at my desk this morning - I feel like I've been on vacation.
It was SO nice to have those days to be creative." Workshop participant.

On a rare, three consecutive days of sun last week, we hunkered down with a super group of new storytellers. As part of the Seattle dStory Collaborative's first ever public workshop for local non-profits, we helped reps from Sea Mar, The Center for Health Training, and the Children's Home Society create short multimedia stories. We thought participants might choose to tell stories directly related to their workplace; instead all chose to focus on personal issues with the goal of helping their clients or patients create their own stories down the road. Everyone brought their own laptops and free software, in order to make it accessible for future work. While this was the first dStory Collaborative workshop, we're thinking it won't be the last.

A Shoutout For Health Care Reform

Tasha — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:50:33 +0000

Hello all,

When we run workshops, we hear many stories related to health....and often about the failure of our health care system. Lately, as we've been navigating through prenatal visits and insurance companies, we've had a few of our own stories to share. Take a minute to look at Tasha's blog posting and digital story, and while you're at it, browse the new Creative Narrations website. Then go and call your senator if you haven't!

Tasha's emerging from maternity leave (Nofi's three months tomorrow) just as Jen enters it (she's 35 weeks today) So clearly we've been busy with our own "Creations" but we're around so drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

All our best,

Jen and Tasha
Co-Directors, creative narrations

tetst

Tasha — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:34:50 +0000

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