The Art of Creative Storytelling
Three-Day Workshop at Alice's House, Scituate, MA
May 18-20, 2012
With Jay O'Callahan and Marni Gillard
Download Information / Schedule / Registration Form (PDF)
We are filled with stories: memories, characters, places and moments in our lives. These stories are like fireflies flitting around deep inside us. This is a workshop to call forth some of those fireflies in a simple and playful way. When a memory is called forth, the storytelling is fresh and alive; the details are sharp as is the sense of place, characters and the event itself. That is good storytelling.
Jay will tell stories and draw memories out with what he calls "sparks". Marni Gillard, author of Tell Your Way Home, will assist Jay. Marni is a storyteller, writer and former teacher who is working on a new book about creating stories from your own life.
Creativity happens best when you are safe and in charge. With all exercises, we appreciate only what’s “alive” and refrain from making comments or suggestions. This creates a trusting atmosphere in which spontaneity and creativity thrives. "Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so." Doris Lessing
You need not be a "professional storyteller", just be interested in creativity. Past participants have been from all walks of life including: college students, writers, ministers, yoga teachers, school teachers, librarians, business people, artists, parents, and people who enjoy creating.
The workshop is limited to 9 or 10 people and held at “Alice’s House”, a lovely old home by the edge of the sea in Humarock (a part of Scituate), Massachusetts. All through the weekend, Jay’s wife, Linda, brings in wonderful home-cooked lunches and suppers. Participants find the long kitchen table a perfect place for eating and conversing. Finally, we have the sound of the sea all through the weekend.
Cost:
$425.00 per person includes breakfast foods, lunches, and dinners. Book by February 20, 2012, and get the early bird special of $395! Accommodations are not included in the cost. Accommodation for 6 participants is available at Alice's House for an additional $50 per night. The workshop begins Friday evening at 6:30pm with supper, and will end on Sunday by 2:00 pm.
Scituate is only an hour outside of Boston. If you fly into Logan Airport in Boston, there is an airport bus that will bring you to South Station where you can then take a train to Scituate, MA where you’ll be picked up and taken to the workshop.
Registration Information
Cancellation Policy
- If you cancel your reservation before April 1st and we are able to fill your place, we will refund all but $25. After April 1st we will refund all but $50 if we are able to fill your space.
Deposit:
- $250.00 required at the time of registration
Participants:
- Limited to 9 people or 10 people
Place:
- Alice's House, Humarock Beach, Scituate, MA
- Phone: 781-834-1220
NOTE: In order to use the phone for long distance outgoing calls, you'll need to have a prepaid phone card with you.
Quotes from past participants:
"After the workshop was over, I felt so alive. A part of me for whom there's little time in daily life had been given space to waken and bloom. This experience confirmed that I had an important story to give voice to and gave me confidence I had the writing skills to do it."
-Jennifer Farley Smith, Writer and Storyteller
"A children's writer, I attend Jay O'Callahan's workshops for selfish reasons. It's my chance to hear and see stories, to focus on the importance of my stories to me, time to indulge in my own ideas and visions, to allow myself false starts, to improvise."
-Nell Wright, Writer
"The moment I stepped into the warmth of the kitchen at Alice's House, with the smell of Linda's cooking, the laughter of people and the sound of Jay's voice, I knew this was going to be one of those special moments that life brings. The candles that burnt in the hearth as the energy of the Atlantic surged outside, truly portrayed that Stories are like candles in the mind and Jay lit ours one by one, so our creativity grew. It was magical and never to be forgotten."
-Lesley Dowding, New Zealand Storyteller
"...walking on a colored pebbled beach against the wind... holding hands around a dinner table in thanks...doing a may pole dance along the ocean...late night chats with other magnificent storytellers...giving, open, souls - sharing, revealing their experiences, imaginations, stories and appreciations...appreciations..."
-Mel Shrawder, Actor
"This workshop allowed me to relax in a way that I have never before experienced, and allowed me to discover a creative potential within myself that I had never seen before."
-Sara Meyer, Holy Cross College Student - October 2007
"What could be more spiritually refreshing than being in an intimate group of storytellers next to the beauty and energy of the sea? Jay is a master at setting the boundaries for a safe environment where you can feel free to explore and take chances"
- Dee Kimbrell, Storyteller, Author, Workshop Leader
"I always admired your prodigious talent. What came as a wonderful bonus was the discovery of your warmth and generosity . . . your genuine interest in your students and your abiding interest in activities that expand your artistic horizons."
-Arthur Fox, Chairman, Royalty Capital Management, LLC
"Over the weekend I have been inspired by your approach to the creative process, your humor toward your own artistry and your etiquette. You are generous and open, still growing and supporting growth around you. Quite amazing. I did not want to leave under the shade of your safe and encouraging wing."
-Jessica Fox, Franklin and Marshall College Senior
"I always admired your prodigious talent. What came as a wonderful bonus was the discovery of your warmth and generosity . . . your genuine interest in your students and your abiding interest in activities that expand your artistic horizons."
-Arthur Fox, Chairman, Royalty Capital Management, LLC
"Through Jay's careful compasson, we were all kings and queens for a week. His reverent attention to each of us allowed us all to let our stories shine. A powerful, caring, rewarding workshop."
-Joyce Grenier, Storyteller - October 2008 5-day Workshop
"Alice's House has given me the place, the time and the safety of encouraging people with whom to begin the commitment to a story I have wanted to shape for many, many years. Thank you again."
-Pat Spalding, Puppeteer - October 2008 5-day Workshop
"This is the place to come to grow my craft in a safe, fun community. We laugh, sing, weep a bit and share.
-Betty Kornitzer, Unitarian Universalist Minister - October 2008 5-day Workshop