— Storytelling dates back to the beginning of time. In fact, stories are perhaps the strongest bonds we have with other nations and races. Australian aborigines painted symbols from stories on cave walls to help storytellers remember their tales. The Egyptians were the first people to write down their stories; and the Romans, through their travels and conquests, were adept at disseminating stories.
The purpose of storytelling is to share stories that unite us. Regardless of our culture, stories bring us together and bridge the gaps among us. They’re also tools for learning and exchanging ideas. But, not all storytellers are created equal. Surely you’ve noticed that some people are wonderful storytellers, and others just make you yawn. The idea of storytelling is to relate events in words, images, sounds, and embellishments. It is a way to convey the emotional power of information. Author and professor Robert McKee, in his book Story, says, “Stories are equipment for living.” In fact, when a story is told well, the listener is transported on a journey to a new place. – Writes Diana Raab
In this episode, Valeria Teles interviews her, Diana Raab — She is the author of Writing For Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life.
Diana Raab, MFA, PhD, is a memoirist, poet, blogger, speaker, and award-winning author of nine books. Her work has been published and anthologized in over 1000 publications. She frequently speaks on writing for healing and transformation. She’s been writing since the age of ten when her mother gave her a Khalil Gibran journal to help her cope with her grandmother’s suicide. At that early age, she realized that writing made her feel better and helped her heal from life’s challenges. She says that she’s spiritual but not religious. She views writing as her spiritual practice and she writes every day.
Raab blogs for Psychology Today, PsychCentral, and Thrive Global, and is a guest blogger for many others. She’s editor of two anthologies: Writers and Their Notebooks and Writers on the Edge; two memoirs: Regina’s Closet: Finding My Grandmother’s Secret Journal and Healing with Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey, and four poetry collections, including Lust. Her latest books are Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Program for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life and Writing for Bliss: A Companion Book.
To learn more about Diana Raab and her work, please visit: dianaraab.com
— This podcast is a quest for well-being, a quest for a meaningful life through the exploration of fundamental truths, enlightening ideas, insights on physical, mental, and spiritual health. The inspiration is Love. The aspiration is to awaken new ways of thinking that can lead us to a new way of being, being well.
