Co-Created

In the world of healthcare, storytelling has become an integral tool for communication, advocacy, and education. Join our conversation with Krystle Schofield, a dedicated Common Language Digital Storytelling Facilitator with a profound personal story of her own, as she unveils the transformative journey from documentary family photography to digital storytelling. Her compelling narrative, filled with the catharsis of the storytelling process and enriched by diverse perspectives, invites us into a world of creativity and storytelling that begins with an image or a free-written core of a story.

Continuing our insightful discussion, Krystle shares her experience in digital storytelling workshops, bringing to light the varying levels of training, and the importance of co-creating ethical storytelling frameworks. Drawing on touching narratives, like Amelie's story of growing up as a competitive gymnast with congenital heart disease and Sue 's heartfelt letter to her grandson, we delve into the profound impact of these stories on families and communities. The conversation takes a hopeful turn as we explore the potential of digital storytelling as a unifying tool for the rare disease community. Listen in and discover the power these stories possess, and the transformative change they can bring.

About Our Guest

Krystle Schofield is a digital storytelling facilitator and photographer based in Victoria, British Columbia. Through her own experience as a rare disease mom, she knows that digital storytelling can be a positive and connecting experience for both the storytellers and audience. She knows that sharing the reason we show up in ourselves and our work will invite others to do the same. Krystle works with individuals and values-based organizations to create authentic imagery and tell impactful stories.

Website: www.krystleschofield.com

Instagram: @krystleschofieldphoto

LinkedIn: @krystleschofield

CLICK HERE to watch a Digital Story made by Krystle.

• Shift - A digital story by Krystle
• From the Heart - A digital story by Amelie

Read Sue Robins' blog The Making of Big Love about creating a digital story with Krystle.

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Ever caught yourself in a moment that you wish you could capture perfectly, sharing the emotions and impact it had on you with others? This week, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Jen, a congenital heart parent and advocate, who shared how digital storytelling is a compelling way to encapsulate such moments, especially in the world of pediatric healthcare. Jennifer created 'Day One', a poignant digital story of her son's CHD diagnosis.

For Jennifer her exploration into digital storytelling didn't stop at capturing moments, she began to recognize the therapeutic impact of digital storytelling, using it as a tool for healing and advocacy. The beauty of digital storytelling lies in the creation process - it's about finding the essence of a story, weaving it together with captivating audio-visual elements, and setting the mood with the perfect score. 'Day One' has since served as a beacon of comfort for families in hospital settings dealing with similar experiences.

Our conversation with Jennifer also threw light on the potential of digital stories as a platform for connection. Backed by her vision of fostering a community of shared experiences, Jennifer shared her hopes to establish a digital story library based on the stories in her book, When Your World Stops; Finding Hope in Your Child's Medical Journey. This episode offers a glimpse into the profound impact of digital storytelling, not only as an effective medium of self-expression but also as a tool for fostering empathy and understanding in the realm of health and wellness. Tune in to listen to Jennifer's experience and discover how digital storytelling can make a difference in your own life.

About Our Guest

Jennifer Siran lives in Manitoba, Canada, with her husband and three children. For over a decade, she worked with marginalized youth in Winnipeg’s Inner City, learning the power of story when overcoming hardship. Writing has been a tool that she has used to process many complex emotions and all that life brings. After spending the last 12 years raising an amazing heart hero and navigating some major setbacks, she took time during Covid to write her book—a project to support fellow heart families in a unique way. Their family continues to navigate their son’s chronic illness in the midst of all the amazing things that childhood contains. 

Website: jennifersiran.com

Want to hear more from Jennifer? Watch the parent education session she facilitated for Children's Heart Network of BC Society here.

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Do you consider the human element behind digital storytelling? Do you stop to think about the emotional toll it can take on the storyteller themselves? Join us for a heart-touching conversation with Mike Lang, digital storyteller and founder of Common Language Digital Storytelling. Mike takes us on a deep dive into the essence of storyteller wellbeing, discussing his PhD work on Digital Storytelling in Healthcare Settings and providing insights from his powerful documentary, Emerging Horizons.

Mike shares a specific example of supporting a storyteller during a group workshop. The story reveals the necessity of emotional preparedness in handling storytelling and emphasizes the importance of care and concern for storytellers. Further, Mike stresses the empowering potential of digital storytelling for patients and their families, and how it can enhance their wellbeing. This conversation is a stark reminder of the human side of digital storytelling; a side that requires respect, understanding, and care. Join us, and let's pledge to enhance storyteller well-being together.

About Our Guest

Mike Lang is a digital storytelling facilitator, health researcher, filmmaker. He has directed and produced five feature length documentaries and two web series about the human health experience in addition to publishing academic research articles and facilitating the creation of over 800 digital stories. Mike’s professional and research focus is on using digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking in an education/advocacy, quality improvement, research, and therapeutic capacity within healthcare systems.

Website: mikelangstories.com

All Social Media: @mikelangstories

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Ever wondered how the power of storytelling can transform healthcare? Enter the world of digital storytelling with Mike Lang, a digital storytelling facilitator and founder of Common Language Digital Storytelling, who takes us on a journey through his own healthcare experiences that inspired him to revolutionize how stories are told in the healthcare sector. Together, we'll explore the concept of digital stories - potent, bite-sized films made with photos, videos, and voiceovers that smartphones have made so easy to create.

Mike will walk us through how he harnessed his digital storytelling skills to build Common Language, a certification program that is helping individuals become certified digital storytelling facilitators. We'll discuss how digital storytelling is as much about fostering meaningful conversations and building communities as it is about the story itself. Not just limited to healthcare, we also delve into the transformative impact of digital storytelling in other contexts - be it giving voice to small nonprofits or helping children understand complex medical situations. So, buckle up for a fascinating conversation that is bound to change how you perceive storytelling in healthcare, and remember, every story told is a step towards understanding what truly matters to patients and their families.

** Note this interview was recorded in the summer of 2022 as a video conversation. We are sharing it now, a year later, as a teaser of what's to come in Season 3 of Leading Through Stories. Watch the original interview with Kristy & Mike on Youtube.

So, what is a Digital Story?

“A digital story is a short 2-5 minute film that people create using their own photos and videos and a voice over they write and then they actually put it all together with some music. It’s a short film they make themselves. People are often surprised to think that they can do that. It’s possible that’s why we’re here to help them from start to finish.”

According to Mike “The best part of digital storytelling is the way it creates conversations. There is the conversation between the facilitator and the storyteller. And then you show the story to friends and family and they talk to you about it. Show it to an organization and you have a conversation. It’s the way that stories start these meaningful conversations. I think that's what really needed, now more than ever, a way to enter into meaningful conversation with others. A story is the best way to do that.”

Links Mentioned 

• Watch Mike's first digital story, Breathe
• Read Mike's digital storytelling methodology paper

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