52 Weeks of Storytelling with Someone You Love
Writing your story doesn't have to be hard especially if you jump into 52 Weeks of Storytelling. You might be thinking “ well that's easy for you to say, you've already done it”, but I'm here to tell you that I'm still writing my story every day.
The thing that has made it possible is breaking down my story into small bite-sized pieces. Each page starts with a single moment or memory. It’s a moment in my story that has made a difference in who I am as a person or is part of who I am and what I like. This is your invitation to begin filling in those blank pages just a few minutes at a time with the 52 Weeks of Storytelling Video Series.
Catch the first video in the 52 Weeks of Storytelling series
Weekly writing videos for Activities and In-Home Care
The same thing goes for helping someone else tell their story. While it may seem to be an insurmountable task, it doesn't have to be. We can do it together. Every week for the next 51 weeks you can tune in to YouTube to catch the next prompt and explanation video. Residents and families can tune in and work together on a loved one’s story.
What’s needed to join in
Prompts are not seasonal and I include the Legacy Recorder Storytelling Method/framework in each video. This exercise should take less than 20 or 30 min, possibly even less. The time needed will depend on you and/or the person participating.
Things a participant needs
- Device to watch a video on
- Youtube app
- Paper and writing utensil (recommended, not necessary)
Suggested items
Purchase the printed journal on Amazon ($19.99) to follow along or grab the PDF on Etsy at a lower price point.
What is “52 Weeks of Storytelling”
52 weeks of storytelling is an idea that came out of this storytelling thing I've been talking about since 2015. And the idea was that if you took just a few moments a day, or even just a few minutes every week, five minutes or less, you could write a story about yourself or about someone you love every week for a year.
In 52 weeks, you would have 52 pages of your story. I really do mean pages. A page does not mean 1000 words on a page, the average page typed up, double spaced page has 250 words. That's really not that much, especially when you use the Legacy storytelling framework and the Five-minute script framework.
You have the opportunity right now in this very moment to start telling and sharing your story. It doesn't matter if you start today, in a month, or in 90 days, or 180 days. You can start your 52 weeks, anytime you want. You don't have to wait.
Using the 52 Weeks of Storytelling Series as a Journaling guide
I encourage you to think about using this as a journal or a diary. So if you've never journaled before, or if you've thought about it, and you've never found the thing that worked for you, consider trying this out, looking at storytelling in bite-sized pieces. And not thinking about having to write a whole book all at once means that you can get through it week by week, day by day. If you want to work on it on your own, go for it.
Working with a Parent or Patient
If you want to buy a second one and work with your parent, do that. Remember that you can get together over Zoom or Facetime etc and have weekly writing time together. Talk about the memory together and what you both remember. Use the prompts to help guide the discussion. You could have 52 incredible conversations with someone you love.
Ready to jump into 52 Weeks of Storytelling?
I hope by now you feel like this is doable and something you can commit to. I know that setting aside a few minutes each week can feel daunting and impossible. I promise that this video series will make it fun, simple, and easy to integrate into your life or your storyteller’s life. I can't wait to hear your stories!