From Tim: Long, long ago I was an acrobat in the New Circus revolution. Surprisingly that took me deeply into how to connect with people using narrative. That’s how I realised that story is at the heart of everything, and having the courage and technique to lead people through stories is deeply humanising.So I ran away from the circus to become a storyteller and later a coach. I founded and trained Wordweavers, blending traditional storytelling with improvised physical theatre. And for a decade I ran the first storytelling club in my region of the UK, drawing people into the new revival.Because my circus training was so transformational, turning me from being shy to a fearless authentic performer, I realised that intense fun equals deep learning. With the same approach I found I could teach people how to BE storytellers rather than simply how to tell stories.So for 35 years I have run workshops for beginners and professionals in the art of presence and connection, through experiential play, where people discover the psychology of being authentic, confident, spontaneous, and creating deep rapport, leading audiences through experiencing their stories.I love to unleash that authenticity, and help storytellers bring everyone closer together and create community. I train storytellers to take themselves and audiences deeper because I believe the storyteller’s superpowers of giving hope, inspiration, and even wisdom are much needed in the world.In 1995, as the Web was being born, those values led me to create the Storytelling FAQ, which became the largest collection of storyteller resources on the net, to spread storytelling and connect the world’s storytellers. Now I run the global celebration World Storytelling Day each March, for the same reasons, and I’ve advocated for storytellers through giving international conference keynotes and workshops.It pains me that many storytellers still can’t make a living from their art, especially when they already hold the secrets to a thriving business but instead keep their rare skills confined to the stage. So I’ve been developing a coaching system to help tellers put the heartfelt values of storytelling to work for their entrepreneurial success. I believe every storyteller deserves to recapture their traditional place at the heart of society. I love how storytellers’ warm, intimate, authentic communication creates community and meaning, inspires collaboration, and overcomes people's distance and differences.I've always been fascinated by how entrepreneurs turn nothing into something. What struck me most was how closely aligned their core secrets and principles are to how traditional oral storytellers learn to practise our art – we have the advantage!So although many storytellers find themselves being starving artists, I realized that with some little breakthrough shifts in perspective we can apply our heartfelt values and practices to create a thriving storytelling business out of nothing, using the most successful method taught to top businesses. So I'm now launching a coaching system to help tellers get paid what they’re really worth.For years I’ve been coaching purpose-driven entrepreneurs to connect more authentically with the world, get the spark that lights up their audience, and build a loyal tribe, for deep social impact through storytelling. In my work training changemakers and social entrepreneurs to engage and lead movements with authentic storytelling, I keep thinking ‘storytellers already have greater ability in this just waiting to be applied – let’s get paid to make the world more human!’My other current project is to offer a course in the Lost Language of Fairytale Symbolism, in how to unpick the surprisingly deep meaning, way beyond the modern psychological interpretations, that has kept people fascinated by the resonance of these tales through the millennia. Fairytales are what first drew me into a lifelong fascination and study of ancient symbolism. Now I’ve turned to tracing the transmission of that symbolism from its original mythology and philosophy into the format of traditional fairy tales. I’ve been astounded as I’ve unearthed the specific and profound message that the oral traditions have always consciously embedded in those tales, and want to share!Website: www.timsheppard.co.ukAlways happy to chat or help at facebook.com/timsheppard
