Joyce Morrow Jones—My Story: Her Story
From the artist: The combination of storytelling and dollmaking blends a unique focus to our creative and artistic process. In everyday life and also in therapeutic modalities, dolls and storytelling are used to assist narration. Narrative therapy processes are often used with a child and a special relationship with a doll or with the elderly bonding with a surrogate doll. Dolls elicit and facilitate non-threatening forms of communication and relationship.
In our process, the goal is re-imagining the story with the participant being the narrator and the doll becoming the multifaceted personas of the life story. Each participant will choose a storyline that may unfold different perspectives, varying points of interest or transformative outcomes of their transgender experience. The dynamic is that in narrating one’s story, there is a beginning, middle and ending; and most importantly, the story can provide them and their listeners with message/theme that reimagines their experience with acknowledgement of transformation – from perception of being different, or flawed or victimized towards healing, acceptance and confidence in communicating their experience.
We will provide instruction and materials for each participant to make a My Story/Her Story doll and throughout the four sessions, approximately 2-3 hours each and will help guide them in customizing each persona.
Session 1: Introduction and group discussion on the narrative storytelling process. Initial journaling on the theme/message/characters that will be the focus for each participant. Brainstorming on needed materials and supplies to create their doll personas
Session 2: Begin doll construction and one on one session with facilitators to help each participant begin processing their unique story, theme or message
Session 3: Continue with dollmaking and informal sharing among participants
Session 4: Group sharing of stories and video documentary with Stephanie Gandy
Formal presentation of doll display and storytelling will be planned at Artist Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) with an invited audience.