Story Paths

(click the image above for a video preview)Hello friends.I invite you to join me for a storytelling festival! Here is a new episode of Story Paths! Featuring the fantabulous storytellers and poets Kathleen Prophet, EvaMarie Padmanabhan, Jessie White and my humble self. Available from this email, or on your favorite podcast player.You can also find the video version on our youtube channel.ps. I’ve moved to Substack, so you can find all the episodes there. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

The old myths don't often show Divnity blazing through the sky bellowing instructions. More often the Divine is in hoofprints, bird songs, grains of snow whispering through the pines.The story of Lippo and Tapio is an old myth from Lapland. Today, Stephanie MacKay, co-founder Fianna Wilderness School and long-time student of Martín Prechtel, takes us through this unassumingly profound story about the adventurous spirit of youth, passages of initiation, the deepening power of grief, and the necessity of failure.Here's a link to the PDF of this story.Story soruce: Scandinavian Folk and Fairy Tales, Edited by Claire Booss, Avenel Books: New YorkHere's a link to the forest school Stephanie co-founded, Fianna Wilderness School. Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website. There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Science fiction is modern myth, though some say it doesn't have the same old roots as myth. In this episode I compare modern sci-fi visions of artificial intelligence in relation to humans, with myths about humans' relationship to gods. Both are created with creator, only with AI we humans are the creator, and with the gods we're the ones who are created. In the stories, there's a lot in common in both cases.Thanks to K. Lee Marks for suggesting this topic. See a mindmap of what we're talking about here.Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website. There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Watch the video of this podcast here.There's been a lot of talk about the dangers of AI lately, but rather than gossip behind the robots' backs, wouldn't it be better to go to the source? With the help of my good friends Jaya and K.lee, we ask Chat gpt questions about the dangers of AI. And this episode wouldn't be complete without a survey of the ways in which AI (robots) have shown up in our imaginings, territory largely explored by our sci-fi writer brethren and sistren. How do these imaginings affect our world views? And lastly, leaving apocalyptic stories aside, we explore a rarer vision of AI.See a mindmap of what we're talking about here.Music in this episode is by my guest K. Lee Marks. You can find more of his work here and here.He also helped me start this podcast, and if you'd like his help starting yours you can go here.Here's the link to share this podcast with a friend: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/For comics, prints, media services and more, you can go to the Story Paths website. There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.Intro song by JeffSpeed.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

An unusual 'review' of this popular film, looking at why Hollywood film makers and many others are turning to indigenous culture for a sense of... well, culture?This is less a review, and more a look into what the film says about settler culture in North America.If you haven't seen the film you may still like this, but parts may make more sense if you've seen it.If you'd like to see a film with similar themes that's far more creative, with a far lower budget, do check out Neptune Frost. You can see it on Kanopy, and you can get a membership to that through many libraries.Also, Indigenous creator Elias Gold from the Native Media Theory Youtube channel made an excellent video about this film which you can find here.Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/The Story Paths website is here. There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   To comment or ask questions about the episode, go to the Instagram.Poem by Jessie White, songs by Theodore Lowry and JeffSpeed.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

 Is it projection to ascribe human characteristics to animals? Maybe, sometimes... but it may also be foundational to storytelling and myth, and a key to deep empathy with beings outside our own species.In this, the finale of Season 2, we dive right into all this geeky storytelling stuff.Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/Also a special announcement: The Story Paths website is here. There you'll find comics, prints, media services and more.To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.   For music and sfx credits, see the transcript.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

A quick solo episode where I get into what personfication is, and why it's a great way to get a handle on beyond-the-brain-complex trends and patterns in this mystical reality of ours. Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.The podcast Instragram is here. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.  Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

 Leah Lamb teaches how to think in the language of stories. I’ve been taking classes with her for the better part of a year, and I can say it works. In this interview she steps back and looks over two huge stories of our time, the story of climate change, and the story of initiation.A bit about Leah:Leah learned about how stories could be allies and friends when she was a child wandering the fields, creeks, and ponds of a rural farm in Vermont. Her first loves were writing and theater. Leah experienced first-hand how stories can unite when her play about suicide, “Berries,” was produced by VA Young Writers for The Theater. She went on to study the Eric Morris technique and the Meisner Technique at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and interned at Williamstown Theatre Festival.Her love of the environment led her to study at Prescott College, where she earned a double major in outdoor experiential education and environmental education through performance. After she worked with youth at risk for many years as a wilderness guide with Outward Bound and other programs, her commitment to social justice led her to earn a master’s degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University.To explore Leah’s upcoming classes, go here: https://leahlamb.com/upcoming-classes/Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.The podcast Instragram is here. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here.  CreditsMusic and SFX by JeffSpeed68Theodore LowryMwiccube3LuckylittleravenpostproddogL. SubramaniamTrailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

My guest today is Angelo Rosso, a creative mentor, published poet and writer, and a creative writing coach, living on the same island as myself, Salt Spring Island off the coast of Canada, Quw’utsun territory. In this deep and deepening conversation, we wonder whether artists must be solitary creatures, about where creativity may dwell within each of us, and what kind of patient and caring attention might bring that out.I first asked Angelo about his own journey into creative mentorship.To find out about Angelo's creative and mentoring work, visit his site here. Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.The podcast Instragram is here. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here. Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Why three episodes about community on a storytelling podcast? Well, community is where storytelling takes place, after all, and it's who stories are about. Stories weave webs between communities, and not just between human communities. Stories also reveal existing connective strands that we might have otherwise missed. And really, all our human stories are within the larger stories of water movement, evolution, geological and climate shifts, and the life cycles of stars.Be that as it may, we’re here on Earth, and some of us are really trying to learn to be better members of the wider Earth community. One such person is Kester Reid, co-founder of the awesome Fianna Wilderness School (fianna.ca). In this episode he talks about the games, songs, ceremonies and yes, stories, employed within the school. All of them help make a cultural container to reconnect with the other wondrous beings we share this world with.Before this, Chay Beriault makes a cameo to touch on some interesting and useful psychology and communication methods. They may help you deepen your sense of self, as well as your relationships.See you on the other side.Share this podcast with a friend by copying this link: https://storypaths.buzzsprout.com/To support the podcast and get goodies, go on over to Patreon.The podcast Instragram is here. To be notified about upcoming creative writing and art workshops, sign up for the Story Paths mailing list here. There were many songs and sound effects in this episode. Thanks especialy to all who offered these up freely on Freesound.org and dig.ccmixter.org.I couldn't put them all in the show notes here, but you'll find them in the transcript.Trailer for Creative Writing: Brainstorming Story IdeasLink to the course and a free month on Skillshare. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe