I was a quiet, shy kid.
People didn’t really “see” me, not the real me.
I could be funny and silly with my friends but put me in a group and I would clam right up. I let others be funny and entertaining. I didn’t need the spotlight but I did like the feeling of making my friends laugh, to be noticed by people that really cared about me.
Like many of us, I went through a really awkward phase as a teenager. Chubby and fair-skinned with bad skin, all I wanted to do was recede into the background. I frequently wore turtlenecks so I could pull up the neck part to hide part of my face.
Enter Ms. Stannard, my Art Teacher. She was a wonderfully quirky, down to earth and genuine person. I had the very good fortune of having her for my art classes for both middle and high school. She’d assign us creative challenges which I loved and when she stopped by my worktable, I could feel her positive energy even before she spoke.
“Oh my goodness Christian… that’s amazing, I’ve love what you’ve done here!”, she would say.
Was she being serious?
At first I thought she was just trying to be nice. What I created didn’t look like much to me. But, I was lucky to have her in both middle and high school so over time, I learned that she was being sincere. Junior year, she even selected a few of my collages to be shown at The University of Hartford.
And something else.
She would go out of her way to pull me aside to tell me how pretty I was.
She would say it when she saw me at school or if she ran into me in town.
She saw what I couldn’t see, both inside and out.
As a young girl who often felt less-than she validated that I had value, that I had real talent and helped shape my identity as a creative person.
I’ll always remember Ms. Stannard. I am forever grateful for her encouragement and vision for me. We all need people like that in our lives.
What I’m up to:
My newest online course, The Art of Translation begins Wednesday, September 10th and you’re invited to join us. This is a project that’s been in the works for almost a year and includes collaboration from my friend and talented artist Jessica Serran. We are both really excited to be working with heart-centered business owners who are ready to create a powerful narrative for their business. Hurry, registration closes September 9!
I made a copy of the free Preview teleseminar I gave on the new course where you can hear what the course is all about, who this is for, what you will get out of it and how to sign up. You can listen here.
I created a brand new Facebook Group called “The Creative Narrative For Business Owners”. It’s a safe space for like-minded entrepreneurs to gather and share stories, test out ideas and ways to reach ideal clients or market.You can join us for free here.
What’s unfolding for me:
My nest is getting smaller. My oldest daughter moved into off-campus housing and it has been a profound change for me. Still riding the emotions of this big change. My youngest stepson Josh is graduating from Navy Basic Training so my husband and I are headed up to Chicago for a celebratory weekend September 18-20. Hoping we can get a little glimpse of Fall!
Storytelling Resources:
Randall Wallace’s 1:49 minute video on The Power Of Story. Listen to what he says about how telling a story creates an experience and is the “vehicle for conveying is what is true.”
If you haven’t had a chance yet to read my free guide, you can find it here: 4 Easy Steps To Telling Your Story
All my best to you,
Christian
