To borrow a bit of terminology from film (an appropriate borrowing given our focus on the short narrative film format of Digital Storytelling) we created a metaphoric version of an 'establishing shot' this week. "The establishing shot is one of the core shots in cinematography. Typically a wide shot, and the opener of a scene, it tells the audience where (and sometimes when) the next scene will occur." [link to full text of article]
We opened the lens wide in exploring the proposition that artists are people who "work from within." Our activities in this regard included watching a short video clip of Jackson Pollock to clarify that working from within does not mean being self-absorbed, sharing responses to a prompt about 'close calls,' recording stories-of-response to the idea of a set-of-four stories, and asking questions such as When we look within, what kinds of materials and scapacities do we find?
Among our notable 'finds' we identified were things such as memories, emotions, events, morals, genetic inheritances, evolution, creativity, imagination, ideas, values, motivations, themes, and contextual storylines. And we noted the capacity of stories to reveal the above items. As educational theorist Michael Apple once put it, it's likely more important to uncover material rather than cover it. And in this regard we also touched on the idea that stories often have a layered/vertical structure in which the peeling back of a topical level or layer sometimes reveals a resonant theme or surprising element of depth.
We also explored the question Why do stories matter? And here we uncovered things such as the idea that stories shape, inform, and inspire us, help us grow up or mature, and/or allow us to make connections between things and learn lessons. And in this regard we touched on some of the differences between oral and literate culture, with the common thread that storylines are often literally lifelines of learning that get passed from one generation to the next.
And finally we did some initial work to excavate the sense in which writing about our own stories involves reflection (e.g., remembering and recounting things that have happened) and reflexivity (e.g., noticing the internal dynamics involved in simultaneously being the researcher and the researched when we investigate the ground or sources of our own stories).
Looking ahead to week two, we will open the lens wide again to actively explore some of the contextual/theoretical aspects of personal narrative and storytelling by exploring narrative inquiry.
