Listen to a short audio recording of the flash fiction short story written in 15 minutes.
| Welcome to Rachel’s Gazette! |
| Rachel Speaks! Merry Meet! Blessed Samhain! It has been an honor to share my thoughts with you, and to share stories and news about our beliefs, craft, and vision from various times and spaces in this gazette. The purpose has been three-fold: to create a sacred space for sharing what has gone before, is happening, and becoming in our own voices; to shine a light on how we are perceived and represented in the entertainment industry and news media; and to invite you to discover and support my story–and those of my loved ones–through the telling of Thorn Trees. This is the last issue of the gazette as much work needs to be done to bring Thorn Trees to you in the realms of television, streaming, or film. The main themes in this last issue concern Samhain & Halloween, the history of witches, and the craft as it has evolved to modern time; news about plans and policies that respect and protect us from discrimination and hate crimes; how we have influenced the art and culture of fashion, a special photography focus on portraits of witches and a special witches songs collection music video, plus book reviews and more stories and videos that reflect our perspectives. I wish to thank everyone who has supported and shared this Thorn Trees-inspired publication in whatever ways you have done so and invite you to continue to help the creators and producers manifest its success. Currently, they are seeking a female showrunner for the series. May the highest and most divine good for all be accomplished. So mote it be! Blessed Be, Rachel Gare Executive Editor Discover more about and help support Thorn Trees in our Facebook Community. Visit us on Instagram and Twitter. |
VISIT THE ‘ZINE TO REVIEW ALL THE CURATED AND ORIGINAL CONTENT.
~THE EDITOR
IT’S TIME FOR A ROUND-UP OF CREATOR’S CORNER FOR EASIER ACCESS TO THE CREATIVITY COACHING CONTENT HERE with a brief excerpt and link to each one–in the spirit of “Everything we need for creativity & storytelling success is within our grasp.” Of course it may not be everything we need, however; between Creator’s Corner and the Creativity & Storytelling ‘Zine, there is a hearty helping.
I BEGAN WRITING CREATOR’S CORNER IN AN INFLUENCER, COACHING, INSPIRATIONAL CAPACITY to share original ideas and solutions for you to consider based on my own thoughts and experiences inspired by the curated content in the Creativity & Storytelling ‘Zine.
How To Work (and Play) Well With “The Others” To Succeed | I attended a graduate school where arts and business students were brought together–on purpose–to propose, create and apply . . .
Best Visual Content = Storytelling Solutions via A&E Professionals | Stage32 (One of my favorite websites) invites its members to select 10 films that we would take with us if we knew we were going to be stranded on a desert island.
Lies & Storytelling: Strange Bedfellows in Shades of Gray | Liar! Who hasn’t had to enter into an almost daily relationship with lies in our political climate today as we countdown to choosing our next president of the United States of America (#45) . . .
Best Storytelling Has Sensory Empathy (or It’s Important To Engage the Senses) | I had the responsibility of creating visual content (publications, packaging, and safer sex advertising campaings) to help save the lives of men, women, and children at-risk for HIV/AIDS during the fours years that I worked at Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Inc. in
New York City . . .
The Joy Is in the Story Journey (or Mission Impossible) | What really kept me on the edge of my seat wasn’t the mission getting accomplished or the end (though I was happy to get the payoff): it was everything that occurred prior to actually accomplishing it.
Get Up to Speed On Quality Do-It-Yourself Storytelling (On a Low Budget) | In our world in which content is king/queen and we must use vital creativity and storytelling mojo, and provide it in ways that engage, inspire and energize our fellow humans, what can we do to achieve quality . . .
Best Storytelling is Copied, Stolen Content? (or The Lighter Shade of Led Zeppellin) | Breakout from traditional approaches and models despite potential flack that you might receive from doubters or critics who aren’t as courageous, and/or fear conflict or change.
Conflict Has Creative Value, Learn How To Use It | Creative breakthroughs often occur as the result of conflict in many aspects of the human experience. I feel like screaming again because conflict and contrast commands attention. They SHOUT and we. . .
Here Comes Play-Doh | Certainly it’s easy to see that Play-Doh can be used as content to attract and communicate with children in your particular business, project or service, but what about with adults? Many of us are familiar with Play-Doh because . . .
Sacred Geometry, Visual Storytelling Content: One of Top Four Creative Trends 2016 | Sigils are sacred geometry symbol forms that the ancients considered to be the marks of angels, deities, and other powerful entities; they are archetype conduits that merge science, creativity and spirituality.
Card Decks and The Mystic or Visionary Persona | Create a card deck as visual content to inform, educate, inspire, attract, promote, aesthetic (purely as art for arts sake ), or for fun and play to help achieve your goal or purpose.
MAY YOU DISCOVER MORE CREATIVE ideas and storytelling support now (and in the future).
Valerie
“Things are only impossible until they’re not.”
“Make it so.”
~ Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Valerie Mich’El Oliver explores the art and architecture of creativity and storytelling in imaginative, innovative, playful and award-winning ways. Tisch School of the Arts (New York University) and The Mystery School (Sacred Center for the Healing Arts) graduate. | Imagine, innovate, create, be generous, love this life, and dare to shine.
TOM COMERFORD. I was in shock, depressed, and lost after the death of my mother. Tom was a District Manager for the State of New Jersey’s Division of Youth & Family Services. He hired me to provide payments to all the foster care parents in the huge district. He helped me get back on my feet mentally, emotionally, and financially; and that job led to meeting my best friend who has been in my life for 37 years.
Years later, I learned that he fell in love with my mother and asked her to marry him when he was a Catholic priest working beside her on an innovative community project. They were pioneers in race relations through Operation Understanding: a program that worked with churches to place inner city kids in suburban family homes and vice versa. It fostered some really amazing life-long friendships, and more!
Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain in “The Thorn Birds” (Credit: ABC)
Her answer was “No”, and eventually, he left the priesthood, married a former nun, and had his own family. Tom passed away a number of years ago. Funny thing is, he was always my favorite priest, and if things had gone his way, he would have been my stepfather. As it turned out, mom married an Episcopal minister.
This is a short story that could lead to multiple stories from different perspectives about these relationships. And so it goes. Cheers!
Read more about this best practice of using past and current life experiences as storytelling content to attract and engage your audience, readers, clients, and customers.
Valerie
“Things are only impossible until they’re not.”
“Make it so.”
~ Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation
************
Valerie Mich’El Oliver explores the art and architecture of creativity and storytelling in imaginative, innovative, playful and award-winning ways. Tisch School of the Arts (New York University) and The Mystery School (Sacred Center for the Healing Arts) graduate. | Imagine, innovate, create, be generous, love this life, and dare to shine.
STAGE 32 (ONE OF MY FAVORITE WEBSITES) INVITES IT’S MEMBERS TO SELECT 10 FILMS THAT WE WOULD TAKE WITH US IF WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND. I don’t know what criteria you would use to select the stories to watch over and over and over again, but the ones I chose impacted me on an emotional, mental or spiritual basis; introduced me to a new world or perspective; or simply fueled my imagination into high gear.
THE DESERT ISLAND MOVIES. The movies I picked are: The Red Balloon (My Top Pick is the original 1956 version), and the rest in no particular order: Harvey, Being There, Jesus Christ Superstar, Ingmar Bergman’s Trilogy (Through A Glass Darkly, Winter Light & The Silence), Topper, Life is Beautiful, West Side Story, Chocolat & A Christmas Carol.
WHO HASN’T BEEN SEDUCED BY A FILM OR TV PROGRAM? Consider one that completely engaged you–and with binge watching original programming content today, how can anyone one of us deny the fact that arts and entertainment professionals (screenwriters, directors, actors, cinematographers, producers, showrunners, etc.) are often masters of storytelling. Therefore, it makes perfect, logical sense for us to listen to what they have to say to help us become much better at it.
Column Inspiration:
THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING. Now that those of us who provide strategy for and produce content are being challenged to inform, educate, persuade, inspire and entertain our audience (potential clients/customers and current ones) through storytelling, there is pressure to get up to speed FAST!
Storytelling must be respected and evaluated as a valued component of growth hacking and ROI.
STORYTELLING MUST BE RESPECTED AND EVALUATED AS A VALUED COMPONENT OF GROWTH HACKING AND ROI. This is similar to filmmakers and original programming writers, studios, and streaming services who carefully craft what they create to recompense their investors and producers (they are first to get paid from the revenues).
THE AUDIENCE OR USER AS THE STORYTELLER. What if you’re just not feeling secure as a storyteller, or simply don’t have the time, budget or interest to do-it-yourself? If you’ve been paying close attention, you know that practically every person on this planet is telling stories in a variety of formats and sharing them on the Internet via social media, or there are professional membership online groups like Stage32.
ARE YOU A CURATOR OR DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE? People are often extremely eager to share their existing content (in which case you act as a curator of nonprofessional content from the general public), or you can collaborate with professionals who will want to contribute original content (for which you act more as a development executive) to expand their industry resume and portfolio. Either way, the storytelling solutions are available–and some of the best resources come from those in the storytelling industry itself.
MAY YOU DISCOVER MORE CREATIVE ideas and storytelling support now (and in the future) by exploring the Creativity & Storytelling ‘Zine.
Valerie
“Things are only impossible until they’re not.”
“Make it so.”
~ Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation
************
Valerie Mich’El Oliver explores the art and architecture of creativity and storytelling in imaginative, innovative, playful and award-winning ways. Tisch School of the Arts (New York University) and The Mystery School (Sacred Center for the Healing Arts) graduate. | Imagine, innovate, create, be generous, love this life, and dare to shine.
The Pursuit Studio 
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