Utah First Friday: Passing out Postcards to People

Thanks to Kevin Martin and Norene Jensen for giving permission to post their picture from the Utah First Friday event.

I rushed to the Utah First Friday event, which was a monthly gathering of business owners and entrepreneurs, as I wanted to pass out "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" postcards.

I asked permission of Kevin Martin, the director of Utah First Friday, if passing out the postcards would be allowed. He is also over the Salt Lake Small Business Development Center and the Miller Business Innovation Center.

He granted permission.

Utah First Friday begins the first hour with networking as well as nibbling on breakfast foods. The last hour always spotlights a speaker so that us entrepreneurs could improve our skills. When the speaker ended, I positioned myself by the door. Everyone would have to exit that way.

I had my wooden bowl filled with postcards and I gave them to people as they went by with such sayings as "This would be great for your colleagues and employees to celebrate."

I passed out about 40 postcards.

Then I peaked into the room when the crowd thinned. A couple people were chatting in the room.

I recognized one of the ladies: Norene Jensen.

I quickened my walk to her as she is a fellow storyteller. She was part of the Utah Storytelling Guild as well as Toastmasters.

We talked for about an hour on various topics, though most of the time was on the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love". She expressed great interest in the program and promised she would attend. We talked about the importance of stories that address child abuse and abandonment, though the sharing of such stories is best when the audience leaves the place with hope.

Norene and I discovered that we needed to hang out more often, as the times we saw each other most was at these Utah First Friday events.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Message in a Bottle" approach to Story Marketing

Instead of throwing a bottle into the sea and hoping someone will respond by mail, the Internet has transformed how people can communicate through chain objects in what has been dubbed "serial collaborations".

I am convinced of the marketing potential in these trends.


Have you heard of any of the following?--

• BookCrossing
• Geocaching
• Letter Boxing
• Flat Stanley
• Travel Mascots
• Where's George?
• Travel Bugs
• Roaming Gnomes

Rather than dreaming of the places that your object has traveled, ID numbers are connected to the item before being "set free" so that when people find them, they can register it online.

My Dad and brother have GPS systems and so they occasionally geocache. Sometimes Mom goes along if the quest sounds exciting enough. I went once with my parents.

I was amazed to discover the different types of serial collaborations as shared by Lynne McNeill while at the "Metamorphoses: An International Colloquium on Narrative and Folklore" on the University of Utah campus held from October 2-5. She is a professor of English and Folklore from Utah State University and presented her paper "Message in a Bottle: The Unspoken Narrative of Serial Collaboration." She has also written "Portable Places: Serial Collaboration and the Creation of a New Sense of Place" published through Western Folklore in Summer 2007, which you can find here.

The intrigue lies in that the communication is blindly put out in the world in search of another like-minded individual. McNeill saw the interaction as "serendipitous and meaningful but not burdensome" as communicating with strangers does not require any maintenance of the friendship.

My mind raced as how storytellers could use these serial collaborations to promote the art, or even a specific program such as my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love."

As I gather more stories and decide what ones will be shared for my narrative production, I would like to publish a book. Whether it would be self-published or done through a publishing company is yet to be seen. However, if I were to "release" the book through BookCrossings, I could watch its travels around the world and receive comments as to the stories within.

I asked McNeill, "Wouldn't it be great if there were more books of folktale collections out there?" She nodded her head and could tell the direction I was going with it.

If we worry that kids or even adults are reading as much of these folktales as we would like, why not send some out through BookCrossings? If each storyteller put out at least one book and each book reaches at least 10 people, can you see the potential?

I would urge the same idea for any storyteller/author. Every time you publish a book, send at least one copy through BookCrossings. You could even "release" the books from different spots as you tour. People would comment after reading it and perhaps these comments could be used for marketing materials.

This idea has a fun factor that, if done by many storytellers, could transform into a phenomenon.

Now I challenge you to think of the other types of serial collaborations listed above and think how a storyteller could apply them.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Economy of Language": From Character's View

The previous post was also on "Economy of Language". Now for another view.

On September 10, 2008 I finally created an account with Twitter, a social online tool. This could be an exercise for storytellers to test their skills in being concise. You are limited to 140 characters (notice characters and NOT words) per post.

How would each story in my repertoire look if it was condensed to 140 characters? This may be a little longer than the one-liner found inside the cover of books above the ISBN number.

Telling the story aloud and condensing within a five-minute, three-minute, or one-minute frame seems easy compared to only having 140 characters to write that same piece.

President Thomas S. Monson, 16th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared how in the 1960s during the Vietnam war, Jay Hess became captured in Hanoi after his plane was shot down. Brother Hess had not seen his family for over two years and was uncertain when he'd see his family again.

He had only 25 words to send a message and this is what he chose to write--
"These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college, press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year."

What would you write to your family?

Now, what if you only had two characters?

This question is easy for me: 88.

My parents are both ham radio operators and "88" was something they could tell each other over the airwaves as "88" meant "hugs and kisses". Another way to express "I love you". These characters look a lot like the "xo" that many people place on birthday cards to wish the same thing. It's easy to see why "88" came to equal "xo".

Here's a clip hosted by Walter Cronkite on ham radio:


Can you sense a story? Perhaps one of my personal reflection moments within "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" could share the importance of the characters "88" to me.

That is love within the "Economy of Language".

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"Economy of Language": From Teller's View

Sometimes people ask me to summarize a story. Often, the summary is longer than the story itself.

At one point, Don Doyle challenged me to take a 55-minute story and tell it as a 5-minute story. He knew that whatever I shared in that condensed time would demonstrate what was most important to me.

I made a couple attempts to do as Don asked. I was over in time each time though every practice brought me closer to the 5-minute goal.

Such an exercise is needed for any story that I share for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love", though perhaps the 5-minute goal could change to 3-minute or 1-minute challenges based on the average telling length of the story.

Elizabeth Ellis encouraged the "economy of language" for the storyteller while I was at East Tennessee State University working on my Masters in Storytelling. She continued that there were "millions upon millions of choices" for a storyteller to make into how a story is presented.

Is there a stronger--and perhaps shorter--way to tell the story or to form images in the heads of your listeners?

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Chamber of Commerce: A Storyteller's Friend

I am the only professional storyteller with Chamber East in Utah. I am probably the only one involved with a Chamber of Commerce in the state. How many storytellers on a whole are part of Chambers?

Lately I have reflected on how I may involve the Chamber with my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production.

I enjoy attending ribbon-cuttings, like the one I attended in this video--


Perhaps this is one of the reasons that Marie Marshall dubbed me as Chamber East Ambassador. When she gave me a magnetic badge, I was delighted to see that she put "Professional Storyteller" on it.

Marie understands and shares my love for the art as she is creator of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival fan page on Facebook and has run storytelling events in the past.

Sometimes, when completing errands like grocery shopping or going to the post office, I click on the badge. Wearing it has given more confidence, beyond my natural tendency to share, with people who are in line with me. Even if I am not the first to speak, several people, including cashiers and bank tellers, have asked what it says on my badge. Then the conversation opens easily about how I am a storyteller and about my narrative production. Many business cards have been passed out this way.

So if a name badge from the Chamber is enough to help me with making connections, what about with the Chamber members themselves?

Every so often I receive letters from Chamber members sharing about their latest projects, inviting to check out their businesses, or asking for donations. Why have I not done the same?

At the next Chamber event I attend, I will ask for advice and support on the best way to approach people about my narrative production.

Regardless of the responses, I have been grateful for being a Chamber member.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

RSVPs for Premiere and International Help

I am thrilled by the support for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production, especially as I am starting to receive RSVPs despite the premiere being on February 9, 2009.

If you don't already know, I tend to stay up late--sometimes really late--because my brain seems to work better at that time. I received an instant message through Facebook from one of my friends in Salt Lake City. He inquired after the program and wondered if there was any way he could help.

I asked, "What do you have in mind?"

He wasn't sure so I asked about his strengths. It would make sense to compliment to what he knows best.

Through the conversation, I learned that he has international connections with performing artists. I mentioned that after the premiere I would like to tour the program. Perhaps he could help me take it to a global scale.

Regardless of what happens, he said that he was officially RSVPing for the event.

Now. . .have I RSVPed? You'll know if you go to the premiere!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com

Twitter, Facebook, & Ping.fm--Tantalizing Tools

I am officially on Twitter and Ping.fm. With Facebook, I am fairly new as my brother introduced and guided me with it the beginning of January 2008.

What I have seen for all of these sites excites me to the possibilities.

Several professional storytellers pioneered these sites long before I joined them, yet I am still considered part of the first wave to embrace it. With any technology there are the select few pioneers in the beginning, then the device turns mainstream and finally there are the resisters to change (often of the older generations though not always).

Not every tool must be embraced, as a certain level of caution is good if not healthy. Being unaware of tools, however, whether by choice or through ignorance, does little to forward an art or a performing artist in this matter.

My recent joining of Twitter and Ping.fm was influenced for the need to gain support for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production. Despite this fact, I have often said to fellow storytellers and performing artists that by promoting an event or project you are automatically promoting yourself. Even with 100% altruistic intentions, this naturally happens.

Here is an under two-and-a-half-minute YouTube video "Twitter in Plain English" posted by Lee LeFever--



As for networking online, here is Scott Bradley sharing "My Top 15 Networking Principles"--



For Ping.fm as well as some basic advice on how not to get overwhelmed by Internet tools, enjoy this video "Who pops your popcorn? 03 Ping.fm" presented by Shahar and Nashlah Boyayan--



I will share how I specifically use Twitter, Facebook, and Ping.fm in another post.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com