Home » Why I’m Excited for We All Grow Storytellers!

Why I’m Excited for We All Grow Storytellers!

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Me, speaking at Arizona Storytellers. My experience would eventually lead to hosting We All Grow Storytellers!

Disclosure: This ‘We All Grow Storytellers’ post is brought to you by Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant and Latina Bloggers Connect. All experiences  I share here are genuine and my own!

It was a crazy idea that I didn’t know would fly. For the past three years, I’ve been taking part in Arizona Storytellers by The Arizona Republic. It’s not spoken word, a poetry reading, a TED talk, it’s just plain old fashioned storytelling. And I found out that I not only enjoy it, I think I’m pretty good at it too. Think about sitting at the kitchen table (or in this case, a stage) with a bunch of friends or relatives and sharing a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction adventure that happened, detail by detail. That’s what storytelling is about. Just you and the audience. And lots of arm gestures and facial expressions.

So far for Arizona Storytellers, I’ve shared stories about the time a chile seed went up my nose while undergoing tamal training with my dad (he fired me!); the time I lost a special ring of his after he died (yes, I got it back), and recently, the time I threw the family Christmas tree across the family room. As crazy, embarrassing, funny, and even heartbreaking as these stories are – they are MY stories. They are my special memories that made an impact on my life and relationships, they made me stronger in so many ways. I share these stories with my kids and friends so they will live on, and make them appreciate their own stories too. We all have them!

After riding this high of the storytelling experience last year, I heard about the We All Grow Summit produced by Latina Bloggers Connect. They had just announced the call for workshop pitches and I thought of how wonderful it would be to share the storytellers experience. This even would draw such a diverse crowd from all over the world, so many different point-of-views.

I took a chance and pitched it.

I knew it would be a stretch, it was far from the traditional expert panel/speaker experience we are used to at conferences. But it was worth a try, right? Granted, it was a little hard to describe at first – there would be no flashy presentations or motivational speeches or lectures, just old fashioned storytelling.

Luckily, the team at WAG understood the concept! They even suggested that it might have its own night at the Summit! Before we could really get rolling, I got a call from Ana Flores, founder of LBC and WAG:

“Kathy, I have some really good news. Are you ready?” she said. “Dove wants to sponsor storytellers!”

I gasped. DOVE. As in Dove who produces all of those amazing, empowering commercials for women such as the Dove Real Beauty Sketches and Dove Love Your Curls! As part of Vive Mejor and the new Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant campaign, they signed on to sponsor six storytellers, and allow them to bring a blogger bestie to the Summit for an expenses paid trip.

 

 

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We put out the call for entries and a couple trickled in. Oh gosh, I thought, worried that the general public would not “get” what this was. But you know what? By the end of the deadline, we collected 61 entries! And even though not everyone was picked, I heard such great feedback from people about how they loved pinpointing a story from their life and recalling it. Just the process of entering inspired them.

In the end we could only have six. I can’t wait for the night and I’m so excited to be the hostess! I’ve spent the past few weeks coaching the storytellers on their delivery. And wow, I’m blown away by the range of these experiences. Very powerful and uplifting. And it fits perfectly with all that Crafty Chica stands for (creativity and positivity) and We All Grow (pushing out of your comfort zone to grow), and Dove (self-empowerment!). The We All Grow Storytellers night will take place in a couple weeks, you know I’ll keep you posted! And yes, I’ll share a story too!

Now about the product campaign that was able to make the night happen? That is thanks to the new Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant! You may have already seen the commercials on TV!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzXpGCQbsWo

Here is what is cool about Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant – it is DRY when it touches your skin, and it doesn’t leave any residue. It doesn’t contain any waxy or goopy residue like the sticks and gels we’ve been used to.  That’s a biggie for me because I hate applying those cold sticks, not to mention the residue. And because it is Dove, it has the signature 1/4 moisturizers so it leaves your skin soft and smooth, and provides 48-hour odor and wetness protection! You can find Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant at mass food and drug retailers nationwide!

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Thank you so much to Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant, We All Grow (and my friend Megan Finnerty from Arizona Storytellers for inspiring me!) for this opportunity!

The Best Yarn Bowl EVER!

Crafty Chica’s Happy List: March 2015!

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2 thoughts on “Why I’m Excited for We All Grow Storytellers!”

  1. This is wonderful news! Congratulations! And happy story telling! I am waiting for your third fiction book!!
    Everything you do shares a story one way or another. Your art and writing speaks to me heart.

    Blessed day – Kathy

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