A new trend is emerging that brings the power of multimedia to the lives of everyone who wants to share and preserve a part of themselves. Two McCauley women are starting up a local movement right here in McCauley with a business called Weasel Tale. I attended the launch of this new business on March 20 and was very moved at some of the examples of digital storytelling shown to the crowd of over 100 people.

The roots of digital storytelling go far back in the history of humanity, from the early days of telling legends around a community fire, to modern day television. Weasel Tale is a local business that is offering workshops, education, and support to people who want to tell their own stories and don’t know where to begin.

During the business launch event, I watched a video that was very moving. A group of potential storytellers, all of them forensic nurses, were talking about what brought them there and allowing the power of a supportive group to bring out the essence of the story each of them had to tell.

One man in the video related an experience he had of having to offer emotional support to a small child whose father had just killed his mother. The man found it hard to hold back tears and another member of the group opened up and told him that this was something that had happened to her in her childhood, and the sharing of this story brought a new understanding and closure to their emotional turmoil.

The two women who launched this business here in Edmonton met while working as English as a Second Language teachers because they both had daughters in crisis at the time. Karen Matthews and Judy Sillito became interested in the digital storytelling process together, which brought about a healing in their lives. They began by researching “The Storytelling Project” at the website www.storycenter.org and soon decided this was something they could use to help a lot of people.

There were a few digital stories shown at the event. Some of them were hilariously funny, others tales of loss of loved ones, and there was even a fascinating one about a young Japanese woman’s experience in meeting the Dalai Lama. All of the stories were worthwhile and moving.

I myself enjoy making videos and putting them on YouTube for friends and family to watch, but digital storytelling takes things to the next step. Images, music, and a planned story brought out from deep down inside make the full process a powerful one for healing and change or even just a great way to record something you want to share with loved ones.

There are, of course, many business applications to this process. Karen and Judy have been travelling the world learning how to help bring out the story in all of us. Karen can be reached for more information at (587) 988-7493 or by email at karen@weaseltale.com and there is more information on this new local and global movement at weaseltale.com.