Spoiler Alert
There are Two Sides to Every Story
Storytelling is a gift for people of all ages. Books, yes, are treasured gifts, but we would be limiting ourselves if we only used this format.
THEIR STORY STARTED:
My first introduction to different storytelling formats came when the new neighbors moved in next door. They were welcomed, and so was their new storytelling format.
Ours was the kind of neighborhood people imagine when they think of the American Dream. We all knew one another and helped each other during trials. Kids played together outside until the streetlights came on. New babies were welcomed with hotdishes and gifts. Teens babysat. Garden produce was shared. Adults threw card parties.
There were neighborhood garage sales, pig roast street parties, and pranks. We walked around the block together after supper. For several winters, we vacationed together at a hotel in another town so the kids could burn off energy in pools while the adults conversed.
We were so fortunate because all the neighbors got along and looked after one another. Duane and Betsy fit right in, and we loved them from the start, for that was the common thread among all of us—love.
Betsy created award-winning needlework and beadwork that told stories through elaborate images. She told me that her mother taught her this skill. When I complimented her work, she adamantly claimed her mother’s work was far superior. I glanced at the other beadwork on the wall, thinking I’d see her mother’s work. She told me she didn’t have any examples because her mother’s work was in a museum.
Betsy faithfully followed traditional practices from her heritage, including using porcupine quills dyed using traditional methods. Her artwork served dual purposes: not only providing exquisite beauty but also telling stories passed down through oral traditions and other beadwork images.
OUR STORIES MERGE WHEN WE SHARE AND LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER:
Storytelling formats include, but are not limited to:
Oral Tradition (Griots) https://www.afriklens.com/african-oral-traditions-storytelling-and=history-preservation
Poetry (Beowulf) https://www.gutenberg.org/file An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem
Dance (Hawaiian Hula) https://islandhopperguides.com/hawaii/hawaiian-culture/hulas-hidden-language-exploring-the-storytelling-art-of-hawaiian-dance/
Cave Art (Pipestone Quarries) https://authenticpipestone.com/about-us Pipestone Indian Shrine Association – Pipestone National Monument
Music / Songs / Ballads (The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) https://youtu.be/9vST6hVRj2A
Runes (Vikings) https://www.vikingheritage.net/blogs/viking/runes
Proverbs and Sayings (Chinese Proverbs) https://www.wukongsch.com/blog/chinese-proverbs-post-40903
Stone (Neolithic people of Turkey) https://news.artnet.com/art-world/ancient-turkish-stone-sculpture-narrative-art-2683351
Papyrus
Scrolls
Theater (The Globe Theatre) https://www.britannica.com/topic/Globe-Theatre
Architecture (The Doge’s Palace – Venice) https://dogespalace.org/en
Sanctuaries (Bryn Mawr – bmcr.brynmawr.edu) https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2025/2025.04.19/
Burial Chambers (Pyramids, Royal Tombs, Hidden Chambers) https://egyptmythology.com/the-architecture-of-royal-tombs-from-pyramids-to-hidden-chambers/
Copper and other metals
Tapestries
Paintings (Smithsonian Institution) https://washington.org/smithsonian-institution-museums and
Ink Drawings
Sculpture (The Louvre) https://www.louvre.fr/en
Stained Glass
Screenplay
Jewelry
Folklore
Beadwork (Lapland – Sami homeland) https://visitfinland.com/en/places-to-go/lapland/
Needlework (Nellie Star Boy Menard) http://www.mastersoftraditionalarts.org/artists/223
Lyrics
Audible
Digitally
Retinal scanning (futuristic hypothesis)
WE ALL LOVE A GOOD STORY:
However you decide to tell your imagination to others, know that entertainment through the craft of storytelling is one of the highest forms of artistic expression.
My wish for all my fellow creatives is that your storytelling is shared across different formats of expression and retold throughout the ages.
