Did you know there is a National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military? You might find it interesting to peruse the site. While your there, take a peek at their Reports and Publications.  You can find the following under Quick Links (Reports):

• Arts, Health, and Well-Being Across the Military Continuum – White Paper and Framing a National Plan for Action.

• The Arts: A Promising Solution to Meeting the Challenges of Today’s Military–A Summary Report and Blueprint for Action

Another interesting resource is the National Center for Creative Aging (NCCA).  They are . . .

Dedicated to fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and quality of life for older adults, the National Center for Creative Aging is the national clearinghouse at the nexus of creativity and aging.  NCCA focuses its efforts within three target areas: Health and Wellness; Lifelong Learning; and Community Engagement.

At NCCA we focus on providing technical assistance, education, research, and advocacy through a variety of programs with the overarching goal of ensuring that all people have an opportunity to participate in high quality arts engagement programs.

The site is definitely worth a look if you work with older adults.

Now what do the military and creative aging have to do with each  other? Delightfully, both these resources were shared with us by Storyteller and TimeSlips Master Trainer and Facilitator, Liz Nichols, to whom I am very grateful!

– Mary

©Copyright 1/17/2014 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.

Here is a little taste of some of the more recent articles that can be found on Storytelling — It’s News!

Storytelling for Wellness Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC), December 10, 2013

Digital Storytelling Workshop Records Passions for Justice The Denver Post (Denver, CO), October 5, 2013

Native Women Rising: Ending Violence and Healing Through Digital Storytelling Indian Country Today Media Network.com, September 30, 2013

Why Storytelling is the Best Way to Engage Health Care Audiences Business2Community.com, August 21, 2013

Community Storytelling Project: Building Relationships Through Stories Twin Cities Daily Planet (Minneapolis, MN), August 15, 2013

Tuberculosis Storytelling Project for King County Residents Enumclaw Courier-Herald (Enumclaw, WA), August 3, 2013

Enjoy!  If you have a favorite resource, please share!

– Mary

©Copyright 12/31/2013 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.

One such search led me to a summary of the study: Storytellers: Women crafting new knowing and better worlds.

Do you have any favorite research sites you would like to share?  Do tell!

– Mary

©Copyright 10/24/2013 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.

Where does the power lie in a story? Does the story have the power? What or who has the power when it comes to story?  I will confess, I believe story has no power, people do. Many disagree with me and I’ve been known to be wrong!

In any case, everyone will agree that Virgil Moorehead’s digital storytelling project is very interesting. Moorehead is a psychology intern at the Native American Health Center (NAHC) and was interested to know if  digital storytelling could be used as a healing treatment modality in Native American communities. In the article, Psychology Student Explores the Healing Power of Digital Storytelling, Marc Dadigan shares that

“Red Moon” is one of nearly 70 digital shorts through which clients and staff of the Native American Health Center in Oakland, California have told their stories, and psychology intern Virgil Moorehead, 31, believes they are not only a way for Native people to control the narratives about their people but can serve to heal the scars of intergenerational trauma.

“Helping Natives tell these stories can help break the conspiracy of silence, the way we’re not talking about these issues,” said Moorehead, who is Yurok, Tolowa and an enrolled member of the Big Lagoon Rancheria. “It can help with the shame, guilt and depression that is so prevalent in Indian country.”

I found the personal storytelling to be compelling. This type of digital storytelling has what all wonderful stories share – the element of the familiar – one can easily connect with such a story.

In the article, Moorehead shares around the process and his research. Anyone interested in story, personal narrative and the process involved would find this article intriguing.

Unfortunately the video in the article does not work, but here is one of the videos entitled Desde Niña by Claudia Defaz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7g_1NdRH0&feature=share&list=PL1103CBF9822DEBFB

Addition Resources:

• Native Digital Storytelling Summit
• Digital Storytelling at NAHC
• NAHCtv YouTube Channel
• Video Gallery at Native American Health Center

I’d love to know of other projects or related resources and welcome your contributions and comments.

– Mary

©Copyright 9/7//2013 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.

How can journey metaphors be used to assist child refuges?  Zimbabwean psychologist and narrative therapist, Ncazelo Nucbe-Mlilo shares the Narratives in the suitcase project. Story, play and creativity  are used to help children connect with their stories and dreams for the future. The project also helps others see and understand a fuller picture of the child.

The Dulwich Centre, a site devoted to narrative therapy and community work, shares a video in which Nucbe-Mlilo describes the project as well as a PDF of the work of Glynis Clacherty entitled The Suitcase Project.

My thanks to storyteller, Lani Peterson, for bringing this project to my attention.

– Mary

©Copyright 8/10/2013 by Mary K. Clark.  All Rights Reserved.