EXPLAINING THE GAME: Recent Episodes
Trayce
‘EXPLAINING THE GAME’ Podcast is a companion to the free online lessons that teach you how to play the new Story Sharing Game: www.catering2us.nyc/story-sharing-game. In a structured, TV-game-show-like environment, the sharing of personal stories is transformed into a skills building artistic challenge, creating a unique platform for new kinds of open (and protected) exchanges between players. Play the Game at home (or anywhere) at your convenience at no cost! The Game has multiple rounds and different challenges: quick responses with time limits, rules, game props, and scoring. You tell your real life ‘mini-bite’ stories about yourself orally like a performer; there’s no-writing except notes to yourself. Why did I create the Game? While Black and Brown people, women, immigrants, transgender, the marginalized, are calling for more honest and inspiring stories about ourselves on the screen and page, it doesn’t mean most of us know how to tell truthful, personal stories about our own lives or believe there is value in doing so. To un-bury our stories we have to develop our own language and a new kind of awareness about what happens in our everyday lives and how we really feel about it. When we do this, we’ll start figuring out how to prepare ourselves more for success than for defense. The oral stories produced in the Game can be the basis for other creative projects: preserving family and friend history; turned into written stories (www.catering2us.nyc//submit-story); used as the idea for a short script you can self-produce (www.peopleshollywood.nyc); or add illustrations and make your own comic book! Here’s to inspiring each other - Trayce p.s. The backstory of how I came to create the Game: www.catering2us.nyc/about
CHAPTER #1: What Was Your First Attempt Like Doing The Creative Work ? What Surprised You Most About Doing It ? After listening to the podcast, answer the 'Four Discussion Questions' pdf.
For the Series ‘Nurturing The Creative Spirit’ Talks I created a questionnaire with22 Questions. I interviewed three Artists individually (a portrait artist, an improv actor/director, and a multi-discipline artist). All have their workspaces at the VAPA (Visual And Performing Arts) Center in Charlotte, NC, a vibrate creative community home to over 300 artists. Twenty-two episodes (called Chapters) are being carved out of the interviews, each featuring one question and the three different responses by the Artists. After listening to an episode open link to the accompanying ‘Four Discussion Questions' pdf, and use it with family and friends to help nurture your own creative spirit !"
CHAPTER #1: In What Mediums Or Forms Do You Do Creative Work ? When Was The First Time You Saw Someone Doing It ? Who Were They ? Did You Get To Speak With Them ? After listening to the podcast, answer the 'Four Discussion Questions' pdf.
For the Series ‘Nurturing The Creative Spirit’ Talks I created a questionnaire with22 Questions. I interviewed three Artists individually (a portrait artist, an improv actor/director, and a multi-discipline artist). All have their workspaces at the VAPA (Visual And Performing Arts) Center in Charlotte, NC, a vibrate creative community home to over 300 artists. Twenty-two episodes (called Chapters) are being carved out of the interviews, each featuring one question and the three different responses by the Artists. After listening to an episode open link to the accompanying ‘Four Discussion Questions' pdf, and use it with family and friends to help nurture your own creative spirit !"
In this episode I focus on how stories connect us. l introduce the StoryTellers Film Club. Why study storytelling through a film ?! Because -- like in a book club -- the group experience of focusing on one story and sharing your different perspectives, experiences, and knowledge – turns everyone into a valuable sounding board. You become peer teachers to each other and better conversationalists. When as a group we focus on a film – it’s beyond the book club experience ! Because a film is a multi-dimensional story that immerses us and our senses. The film we are studying is the classic 'HAROLD AND MAUDE' (1971). It's a story that reminds us that you only get one life to live, and it’s up to us to find meaning before time runs out.
In this episode I’ll focus on ‘how stories connect us’, as we continue the discussion about the feature film HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971) that we’re studying, along with it’s script, in our StoryTellers Film Club. What are we discussing ? Everything ! That means discussing all the mediums and tools used to tell a story in film – from story structure to words to acting, how an image is framed and lit, wardrobe, make-up, props, and the set and location, music and sound ! In real life we focus on people’s words. By studying the characters in a film and all the world that surrounds them -- you’re going to learn clues to people’s behavior and motivation that’ll make you more alert in your own world !
Join me as I explore in 'EXPLAINING THE GAME' how to play the game of life better. In this Episode, 'What Is Home ? ', I use a basic question to help you rethink what you want out of life. In the process you will become a better StoryTeller of you own life, and that will make you a better game player !
My focus is not on the scoring, but on how to find joy in your very existence by consciously developing strategies and goals that align with who you want to be; who you feel you are --- but don’t know how to get to. - Trayce
Also check out my 'TAKING A LEAP' blog !
In this episode of Explaining The Game, I’ll be helping you understand what’s behind ‘Seeing The Big In A Mini-Bite’, an exercise on page (3) in Lesson #1: The Story Sharing Game Orientation.
We live in a world that has been losing its appreciation of small moments, small things. But as we supersize and push for super speeds, we still remain human beings who can be inspired or depressed by the smallest things. So what happens when we stop recognizing the small as important?
In the Story Sharing Game you’ll be challenged to come up quickly, off the top of your head, with simple, little personal memories that the Game’s lessons will show you how to transform into engaging stories, in part by showing you how to find the bigger you inside each little situation.
In next week’s episode I’ll be discussing ‘LISTENING (Know What It Means?)’. You can check out in advance the Listening exercise in Lesson #1, (pages 4-5).
Here's to inspiring each other. - Trayce
In this episode I cover the first act the players do in a Story Sharing Game session -- they read a short sample memoir together; make comments about it; use it as the inspiration to come up with their own personal story that they shape during a silent period; and then orally share their 'mini-bite' stories.
The sample 'inciting' story sets the tone and direction for your own journey into your memories. I read aloud the inciting memoir sample used in the Story Sharing Game's Lesson #3: 'Play The Game', on page (3) of the free online PDF. It's my own personal memoir titled '*Alone Is OK If You Are There'.It's (1980) characters with spaces long. How much story can you fit in that space? Enough to make your audience care about the character and the situation?
I ask you to think about the questions in the exercise that follows the story. Then I share my own responses to the questions to stimulate your thoughts. Check out the complete Story Sharing Game Lessons at www.catering2us.nyc
Here's to inspiring each other. - Trayce
(NOTE: in the Game there is no one correct answer to any question. During the Game's challenges the players -- like players in TV game shows -- give quick, one comment responses, and there is no discussion.)
*In addition to the sample memoirs provided, the Game also directs you to where you can find short sample memoirs online. You can also use as the inciting material a story provided by a player -- like an personal essay written by a high school or college student.
In my weekly podcast I'll be introducing you to the Story Sharing Game’s free online lessons and what you'll get out of playing it.
In this first podcast I outline the mechanics of how you play the Game, and introduce you to the principles and life experiences that shape the Game.
NEXT PODCAST: In Episode #2: 'The Inciting Story'I'll be discussing the sample 'mini-bite' memoir, 'Alone Is OK If You Are There', fromLesson #3: Play The Game (page 3). You can review the lesson in advance to come up with your own answers to the exercise before you hear my sample responses next podcast.
Here's to inspiring each other - Trayce
(NOTE: In the Story Sharing Game there's no right or wrong response. In Game play each player, per exercise, can share one comment or question -- but just like in TV game shows, there is no discussion of their responses between players. In the Game you share in order to hear how each player is thinking -- at that moment. Sometimes hearing something that quote feels ‘wrong’ to us can challenge our thinking and creativity more than hearing something that is quote ‘right’. )