Want to partake of some Susan O'halloran? That's right. I started with something huge.
Now you're thinking, "Slow your roll, girl! You put everything on the table! You started with your aces. How are you going to top that?"
Others might be saying, "I have no interest in building strong, diverse, compassionate, understanding communities in the world! What else have you got?"
Well...there is the keynote speaker this year. He might interest some people. His name is George Dawes Green. Apparently, he founded something called The Moth. Some of you may have heard of it.
I know, I know, that isn't everybody's cup of tea either.
So, I didn't mention the Master Classes. They will be taught by a range of storytellers and they will cover topics like podcasting - a thing about which I know nothing, the power and art of storytelling: The Griot's Gift - I'm going to this one because Charlotte Blake Alston.
Doubtless, there are still those of you saying, "So what? I just want some storytelling. That's all I'm about!"
Well, that isn't a problem.
There will be loads of storytelling. In fact, there are fringe shows. You know, those shows you won't find on offer during the kid's hour. The after hours, intimate tellings that are often on the cusp of risky or downright risky? Finge! Jeff Gere, Cynthia Changaris, Ann Harding, Dorothy Cleveland and Barbara Schutzgruber, and Norah Dooley will be strutting their stuff.
I realized I needed a website a long time ago. I was really pleased when I had the first one designed, and we actually put a bid out on a tech site to get my latest one done by a real live graphic arts studio.
In fact, that company did all of the PR so that my press packet, stationary, and website all had the same graphic quality and images.
Well worth the expense. I thought that was all I'd need to do. Heaven's above but I was wrong!
That did not make me excited to do anything else!
I had zero interest in writing a blog.
In fact, When Sue O'halloran first suggested that I do it, I thought, 'no way'.
I didn't want a Facebook Page, and put off getting one until a few years ago.
I didn't want a You Tube Channel, but I have one...I don't post much there, but that will change this year.
I don't want to do an original 'show' for my YouTube Channel, but I will be putting the thing together, and if it goes well, I will be marketing the heck out of it by fall.
I didn't want to have a Twitter account. I have one all the same. You can follow me on Twitter @dlwstoryteller. I still don't really get tweeting, and I'm not one hundred percent sure how the whole thing works, but I'm in there like everybody else!
I even joined Linkedin, but I'm not one hundred percent sure what to do with that either. Though, I'm happy to connect with you over there!
There are, in fact, a whole host of things that I don't find particularly lovely about the maintenance of my on-line persona, but, if I want to work, these are important things.
All of this on-line stuff started because of an epiphany I had some years ago.
There was lots of footage on youtube and in other places of me, but I didn't put any of it on-line, had no way to encourage or discourage people from finding it, and none of it was catalogued in any way shape or form.
Then, there are all of the random pictures, the on purpose pictures, and the 'Good Heavens I hope nobody ever sees that one' pictures.
I wanted to make sure that if someone were looking for me, they found the information I wanted most prominent, and not the work of someone who was standing a quarter mile from the event while recording the backs of half the audiences' heads.
I decided that the only way to make sure I was putting my best foot forwards was to take control of my various on-line bits, and combine them into something that helped me funnel people and traffic to things that helped my career.
In the last couple of years I've realized I need to get into some more video posting online. My learning curve for this is horrible, but, I will figure it out with tutorials and the occasional mocking laughter of my children as they say things like, 'Just click this, mom'.
Luckily, there are new videos coming online all of the time, and that helps, but I still need to get my own stuff out there.
This newest piece is from Kentucky and is part of their PBS Learning Media. It is called A World of Stories. I'm doing Anansi and the Hat Shaking Dance.
So, here is the question: When someone is looking for you...what do they see? What sites come up first? What links will they encounter? Where does Google send them? What is the overall impression people get of you when they search for you online?
That's why I write the blog.
That's why I have a Youtube Channel.
That's why I tweet.
That's why I'm on Linkedin.
That's why I'm working on a short video series.
That's why I post on Facebook.
That's why I market all of my preferred links to schools in my online marketing material.
Driving traffic to my favorite sites instead of hoping for the best is my on-line marketing strategy.
It requires constant upkeep.
What is your on-line marketing strategy?
What are your potential employers and/or fans seeing when they look for you?
Are you leading that search, or are you being carried along by it like a cork in a river?
Let 2016 be the year you take control if you are still being moved by the current.
Back in my tender years of storytelling, I met a fabulous teller who works with cultural diversity. Susan O'halloran, who I first knew as 'Soup', is brilliant, beautiful, wicked smart and extremely talented. She currently facilitates an amazing online storytelling festival called Stories Connect Us All. Head over to this page and watch some of the wonderful work she has collected. She continues to be both an inspiration and mentor for me as well as many, many others. Happily, she is also a friend.
One morning, Sue asked me if I blogged. I told her I did not. She began explaining how it was not such a difficult thing and I should do it. I countered that I doubted I could keep a blog going, and besides, what did I have to write about anyway?
Thus began my descent into madness.
I didn't find out this could become a part time job until I was too far committed to turn back!
Not long ago, this blog recorded its 10,000th individual hit. For blogs which get thousands of folks everyday, I know that isn't much, but it blew my mind.
I try to get something out at least once a week, but when my travel schedule gets hectic...forget it! I can't write about much of anything and my brain is decidedly numb.
So, to prevent this space going dark for a few months, as it did last summer, and partially has over the last month, I contacted a number of excellent storytellers and authors and asked if they would be willing to do some guest blogging entries for me.
The response I got was great! The guest entries will start appearing as early as the first week of June.
I don't know what each entry will be about as I wanted each person to write about something important to them.
As soon as I work out who is going to be featured and when, I will put out a schedule. Thanks to everyone who has stopped by the blog, and thanks to all the performers and writers who have agreed to write a piece for this space!
I hope you enjoy the summer series.
So, thank you, Sue O'halloran, for beginning the conversation that led me to this place. I do enjoy the work, and I enjoy being able to share and correspond with performers, teachers and parents all across the globe. Despite the fact that I can't always get to this space in a timely manner, it was worth doing, and worth continuing!
