Sharing your story is something each and every one of us can do. You can do it for yourself. You can do it to educate or inform others. However you choose to tell your story, just the act of telling it can help you to heal. I tell our story with my camera.
The day covid began shutting everything down in Canmore I was scheduled to present a pechakucha at artsPlace. You are probably thinking what on Earth is a pechakucha. Quick explanation…a pechakucha is a presentation where you have 20 seconds to present each of your 20 slides. So altogether you have 6 minutes and 40 seconds to tell your story.
Leading up to March 12th I had worked on my pechakucha project for weeks. It was time to share my heart.
Preparing the images and the words to share my experience of my son, Kane’s heart surgery was an emotional process. I had my own images, images from our photographer, Raz, of Slice of Love Photography, and a couple of Kane’s images to choose from.
I cried as I poured over the images trying to decide which 20 should make the cut.
I cried as I wrote the words to tell the story of that time in our lives and why I think it is so important to share our story.
I cried as I practiced telling our story by myself, in front of a mirror, and for my husband.
When it was ready, I shared my heart it with a few of my cheerleaders, you know, those people who have walked with you on a project. And wait for it…I cried.
But I was ready. I was ready to share my heart. I had created something important to me and along the way I was healing. Healing from the trauma of being a medical mom. Healing from the trauma of handing over my little boy for yet another heart surgery.
But the world wasn’t ready. The Town of Canmore’s pechakucha night was cancelled. I felt deflated. Damn you, covid!
But you know what? It just wasn’t the right time. So, I recorded it. I recorded my presentation of Sharing My Heart. And now I am ready to share it with you. The video link is below.
I am so grateful to have had Raz of Slice of Love Photography with us during Kane’s surgery. I needed to see myself in our family’s story, because I was there, too. I am also incredibly grateful to Stephen Legault who has encouraged me to tell this story.
Right now, in July of 2020, it feels like the world is in a downward spiral. There is uncertainty in education, healthcare, economics, politics…the list goes on.
Sharing your own story is something each and every one of us can do. You can do it for yourself. You can do it to educate or inform others. However you choose to tell your story, from someone who tells their story from both sides of the camera, telling your story can help you to heal.
If you are interested in telling your own story using photography, I can help.
Over covid chaos, I created a series of emails that focuses on what I think about when telling the story of my own family’s healthcare journey. It’s a free series of emails on storytelling photography, specifically telling your own story. Don’t worry I won’t be demanding assignments or setting a timeline. It’s for you. It’s meant to spark ideas so that you can tell your story, whether it is a medical story or not.
Every single person has a story. What’s yours?
And I have one more thing I need to share, because I know I am more successful when I think other people will hold me accountable. So here goes…
This is so touching, Kristy – thanks for sharing your family’s story with such brave, brave hearts.
This is how I manage. My hope is that other families will see their own strength when they look back through their photos.
This is beautiful. My heart ached & the tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw your face in the photo beside his bed. It said so much about being human. About being scared. About being a Momma.
You are so brave, you’re all so brave. Thank you for sharing your story.
xx
Thanks Nadine. I think it’s so important to see all of it, not just the good stuff. I’m so glad you post about everything as well
“A picture’s worth a thousand words,” but it is also can evoke a thousand emotions. I am honoured to have witnessed this journey in this way and am so filled with gratiture that you are sharing this tool with the world. There are so many ways in which words are not enough. And this type of project will be JUST what is needed in those times. Thank you for who you are and what you and your courageous and resilient family bring to the world.