A rising tide lifts all boats.
I came across this quote today.
It settled into the back of my mind.
Aside from the literal and quite visible meaning... indeed a boat floating on a body of water that is tidal and that water is rising will in fact result in a boat being further from the sea/river/lake bottom....however, the collective and subtle meaning has taken up a significant amount of my thinking today.
Specifically my thinking in relation to memory keeping. In relation to story telling.
In relation to the Story Telling with Project Life class with Ali Edwards.
Not only are the lessons, the message board and the gallery inspirational and uplifting, I have noticed a rising tide of my own.
With positive, right for me in this season of my life, information and content, the benefits on a very deep and personal level are very much becoming apparent.
Collectively this rising tide is lifting my boat!
My boat being a metaphor of the sum total of all the parts that make me me.
I have discovered a sense of value, of what I have to say, to tell, to record is valuable. Valuable to myself, my family, my community and maybe even history.
I have discovered more creativity. I am exploring ways to tell my and our story's, how to convey the feelings and emotions along with the facts, how to weave all that I want to express, to document, to explain into a cohesive and interesting passage. How to write short story's, medium story's and long story's. To offer a blend of all 3. I am stretching and flexing my storytelling muscles.
Photo by photo, word by word I realise I am what I think of as a Story Engineer.
A memory keeper who also tells story's.
A designer.
A builder.
Working artfully to bring about the story of my and my family's life as we are living it in 2016.
I have discovered a sense of responsibility in getting story's out of my head and onto the paper, into the pockets.
I have discovered a sense of discretion and a desire to find the balance between telling story's and respecting the privacy's of friends and family.
I have discovered that what I am engineering is interesting to others.
I have discovered I have a voice and that there are many story's that need and should be told.
I have discovered that this is so much fun, having a creative outlet based on story first. It is my version of Project Life.
I have discovered I look for a story I can tell, as soon as and sometimes before I take the photograph.
I have discovered that every photo has a story but not every story has a photo.
I have discovered that contributions from family members in the form of their version of events or situations sometimes with photographs flexes different storytelling muscles.
I have discovered that my attention to and noticing even the little details is useful and positively impacts the story's I have told, I am telling and am yet to tell. Hooray for personality traits that enhance my storytelling perspective....my analytical traits are not always welcomed. My boat is floating along just fine.
Last but not least...
I have discovered a renewed passion for this style of memory keeping.
On a whole other level.
and for that I will be eternally grateful to Ali Edwards and her Story Telling with Project Life class.
Cheers
Michelle x.