Story vs. Story Field?

I woke up this morning with the (obvious, yet somehow fresh) awareness that this is not only a conference about story, but about the story field. Of course we will work/play together to create new – and share old – inspiring, inclusive and life-affirming stories. What else will we do, to affect the story field? (story fields?)

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New Language

When I imagine what I would like to explore at the Story Field conference next month many thoughts crowd their way to the surface; I’ll share one, to start.

I notice I am longing for a new language with which to tell my story and invite the stories of others … a language of the senses that evokes an visceral experience as our tales unveil themselves.

In one context this means I’m looking for a language that can ground internet discourse in the natural world. An earthy medium of exchange ala David Abram that draws on the ‘matter’ of our bodies and the world as we experience it directly through our senses. A language that will remind us of the ground beneath our feet, maybe even help us feel the grass between our toes and smell the faint sweetness of the air as we commune with each other in our ‘connected’ freedom from geographic boundaries and gross societal bias.

In another context it means helping my colleagues in the World Café global network find new ways to share their stories – illustrating where, how and with whom this wonderful conversational process is being used throughout the world. I want to co-evolve a language or format that covers our academic needs for analytic rigor but goes beyond that to impart a sense of the spirit in the room and the magic that arises in the middle of the conversation; a language that can impart the passions and dreams of the people that have gathered to listen to themselves and each other.

In still another context I am looking for the syntax and grammar of a language capable of weaving together the multi-media of my own story. I want to share my viewfinder and initiate others into the mysteries I intuit within sound and motion, image and word. I want to sound the poetic drumbeat and call the muse of rhythm to attend my utterances, to illuminate the soundless silence of world-wise eyes staring back naked, I want to carry my listeners into new worlds on waves of light and sound.

All this longing … the search for new forms; I suspect it goes far beyond my personal quest, and hope that I will meet many fellow seekers and co-creators of this new language at the Story Field gathering.

Blog Posting Help Coming

Hi. I’m going to attempt, in a few postings, assist other novices like me in using WordPress for the Story Field Conferences. I am a newly registered member. Yesterday I received emails with links to make me (and you) potential authors to the Conversations and Creations blogs; but still there was no way to activate “write post”. Peggy just provided the hint needed, and this is a test.

Peggy: “I think we’re supposed to be seeing a dashboard that for some reason isn’t showing. Given that’s the case, you can post by going to www.wordpress.com and logging in. A screen will appear with a window on the right-middle that says:

Welcome back:

[userid]

Links to your blog are below that. When you click on a blog link (e.g., storyfieldcreations), it takes you to a screen that has the link:

Write a post

And that’s the spot!”

Peggy’s instructions worked, it brought me here.

I see options to SAVE or PUBLISH. I believe the latter is necessary to post for others to read, and SAVE is if you want to come back later before publishing. I’m just guessing, as I need to read more about how WordPress works. I will attempt to compose, with help, a help MANUAL of sorts. This blog should focus on CONVERSATION re the Story Field concept and conference, so I don’t want to load it with techie help. But, this is where I am at now. I may not have answers, but feel free to email me at larryvictor@comcast.net and we can mutually learn.  Now I need to learn to add a new category, BLOGGING HELP.

Hello from the new registrar

Hello! I would like to introduce myself. My name is Cheryl Genet and I am delighted to be coming aboard to serve as registrar for the Story Field Conference. It is especially fun to work again with Peggy and Tom, whom I first met when I served as registrar for the first Evolutionary Salon, held at the Hacienda in central California, and inspired by Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow, and my husband Russ Genet.

The Shambhala Conference promises to be a unique and life-changing event. But nuts and bolts must always be attended to as well, so, if you have any questions, problems, or suggestions in regard to registration for the conference, reservations at Shambhala, or accessing the blogs, I am your…woman! Please feel free to email me at storyfieldinfo@comcast.net, or call me at (805) 438-4088. Looking forward to getting to know you! Cheryl