INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps, it is the most basic, fundamental way we can share with each other. Telling a story.
But it is not always so simple, especially when you have so much to process in your mind.
It is the reason why Hoosier veterans now have access to a free workshop, aiming to help them share about their time in the military or away from it.
Bob Sanders is an instructor, who teaches how to tell a tale. He is one of the founders of "Storytelling Arts of Indiana."
Sanders has worked with elders, children, families and those in the juvenile justice system.
"You just know that everybody's got a story to tell," Sanders said.
Among the many workshops Sanders leads is a free storytelling bootcamp for military families, the product of a collabortation between "Storytelling Arts of Indiana" and the "Armed Services Arts Partnership", or ASAP.
ASAP works on a mission to empower veterans, service members, and military family members to find a voice and thrive in their communities.
Nick Ramey and Liz Cornell are graduates of Sanders' class.
Ramey is an army veteran, who served time in Iraq.
Cornell is the daughter of a Korean War Vet. She was gifted writer at a young age, but had always been shy in front of people.
This workshop put them both a bit out of their comfort zones.
"Go out there and just shake it off and just do it," Cornell said. "And you'll get the hang of it."
Sanders helps his students craft a story, but he deliberately points out, he's not a therapist.
Participants learn about scene setting and character development.
"That's what makes storytelling so much different. Those small details," Ramey said.
"There's usually someone who would break the ice," Sanders said. "And then, we all give feedback, then you've got everybody's ears helping you co-create the story."
The feedback helps break down a barrier and open communication, which put Ramey at ease in his sessions.
"Getting that feedback was also extremely helpful from the people around you because it felt like a safe place to open up," Ramey said.
The storytelling classes became a safe space to connect, to process, and to share. And a safe space to learn a new craft.
"I have found and seen stories to be powerful in everybody's lives," Sanders said. "The ability to share your feelings and you experience and make sense of things.
The next round of classes begins on September 21.
The groups meet for three-hour sessions, over six Saturdays at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in downtown Indianapolis.
The course ends with a spoken-word graduation show on November 2 at The District Theatre on Mass Ave.
