What is Storycatching?
Story is a map.
The map that gets one person through gets the next person through.
We depend on story to learn from each other,
to inspire values-based action,
to imagine the new ways forward.
Storycatching—how we speak, write, and listen to each other in our personal, professional, and community lives—has always been a core practice of PeerSpirit work. Since the publication of Christina’s book, Storycatcher, Making Sense of our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, we often combine circle practice and storycatching.
Storycatching Events – Interviews & Podcasts
Storytelling for Understanding and Healing – Episode 77 of the Podcast, What Could Possibly Go Right?
A Podcast with Vicki Robin of Resilience.org and Christina Baldwin
May 2022
In each episode of What Could Possibly Go Right? host Vicki Robin asks “cultural scouts”— artists, activists, and academics who endeavor to see clearly, act courageously, and serve the common good — what they see on the horizon. In early May, she interviewed Christina.
In this interview, Christina discusses a variety of topics, including:
- The “need for story to survive” and to capture our humanness
- That journal writing and archiving allows us to process experiences for greater understanding
- The role of story in healing trauma and organizing our insights
- That our lives are a blessing, sharing wisdom with futures we cannot see or know
- The intersection of heart-led “squishiness” and fierceness in conversations, to find commonality with others
To listen, or to watch on YouTube, click here.
Hanging by a Thread: A Braid of Stories that Define Who We Are
with Christina Baldwin (Online)
Offered by The Jung Center, Community for Conscious Aging Lunch and Learn Series
Life hangs on a narrative thread. This thread is a braid of stories that define who we are, what the world is like, and how we make our way. In this interactive seminar, Christina Baldwin, co-founder of The Circle Way, and author of Storycatcher, will speak to her decades of work on the power and practice of story and its capacity to make meaning of life’s raw experiences. She believes personal narrative is the foundation for resilience and engagement in these times and that as we “stand in our own stories” we discover how to also stand with the larger story.
Click here to go to the Community for Conscious Aging website and listen to the archived interview (April 2022).
In Conversation with Christina Baldwin
A Podcast with Sheila Bender and Christina Baldwin
Winter 2019
Sheila Bender, author, poet, writing instructor, and founder of the website, Writing It Real, interviewed Christina at the end of 2019. Listen as they discuss Christina’s writing journey from her early journaling years to her current projects by clicking here.
Visit Sheila’s website, Writing It Real to learn more about her, her online classes and the books she’s authored, and sign up for her newsletter.
Why Keep Writing in the Age of Text and Tweet?
October 30, 2019
Telechat between Christina Baldwin and Lynda Monk of the IAJW (International Association for Journal Writing)
“Whatever happened to reflection? Everywhere I look people are hunched over devices and thumb typing bits and bytes or scrolling through newsfeeds or Instagram making hearts and comments. Me too—AND I invite us to remain committed to telling ourselves the longer story of our lives because we are the only ones tending that narrative, and that narrative is the rock we stand on for making every decision and setting direction.”
In this telechat Christina and Lynda Monk delve into the importance of attaching to oneself through journaling, making meaning of our stories, and being responsible for our own meaning-making.
Listen to the interview here.
The IAJW is a membership organization dedicated to providing inspiration and education to journal writers worldwide. It offers online courses, telechats, products, monthly journal-writing circles, and more. Christina is a member of the IAJW Journal Council.
Breathing in Full Sentences: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice (Journaling.com podcast)
October 2019
At the end of October, Christina was interviewed by Rebecca Kochenderfer, founder and host of Journaling.com. Rebecca is the author of Joy Journal, an uplifting collection of journaling tips and techniques.
This interview explores various practices (flow writing, collage, using dialogue) that Christina uses in her journaling life. She describes journaling as a spiritual practice, and provides insights and steps to connect with one’s deeper inner life.
“The deeper self is always talking to us; it’s just that we aren’t always listening. The act of writing slows us down to the pace of listening so that we can receive insight and guidance.”
Christina Baldwin
Click here to read the summary notes of their interview on the Journaling.com website.
Journaling.com is a free, online resource for journal writers. Joining gives you access to:
- interviews with leading journaling experts
- book reviews that inspire and provide new perspectives
- tips to keep your writing life fresh and deeply satisfying
- guides to the most trusted journaling resources available
Women of Whidbey – Christina Baldwin, Writer in Residence – Story Comes Home
with Christina Baldwin
Watch Christina talk about her life and evolution as a writer, and how Story creates maps for us to follow in this You Tube video of her talk at the 2017 Women of Whidbey program.
Be a Storycatcher
Every day you can make the world around you a friendlier place by exchanging stories! Storytelling is how we introduce ourselves, discover commonalities and differences, build community, and learn from each other’s experiences. The artful interplay of storycatching is fun, heart-warming, and free! Download our Storycatching Tip Sheet and practice on your own in the grocery line, at the dinner table, in the office.
Download
Christina Baldwin’s Spiral of Experience, a map for making sense out of life that can be applied to any life event we work with in story over time.
Subscribe to and Read Our Blogs
Check out the latest on our Blog page, where Christina and Ann share their stories. And subscribe there, so you’ll get a notification when a new post is published.
Learn about Storycatcher
In her entertaining and profound book, Storycatcher, Christina Baldwin explores story as the core of life experience. Through stories, education, writing and oral prompts, the book illustrates how we use narrative to make sense out of what is happening to us and around us. Don’t have your own copy yet? Learn more about it.
Listen…
…Christina is interviewed by Angie Swartz, founder of Life Purpose Advisor. Angie’s mission is to empower people to find their life purpose through knowing themselves, incorporating daily practices and transforming their bodies. Angie’s Life Purpose Advisor Podcast asks spiritual leaders and difference makers the deep questions around living a life of purpose, meaning and joy. Go to Angie’s podcast webpage and scroll down for Christina’s podcast (episode #49). Listen now >>
…to an interview between Christina and Ruth Folit, founder of IAJW (International Association for Journal Writing) as they discuss the power of journaling, how to move forward when stuck, tips for new journal writers, recent epiphanies about writing, and more. This interview is a part of a series Ruth created called “Celebrate Journal Writing!” – where she interviewed 9 journal-writing luminaries.
Listen now >>
Past Storycatching Keynotes & Courses:
ReStorying Your Life with Christina Baldwin (E-Course)
4-week E-course Led by Christina Baldwin of PeerSpirit and
Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality & Practice
Leading Change Through Story
A Keynote Speech and Reception with Christina Baldwin
Sponsored by The Chrysalis Foundation
Des Moines, Iowa
Storytelling Intensive Workshop
With Christina Baldwin & Ann Linnea
Melbourne, Australia
The Power of Conversation! The 17th Annual Fall Conference of NWONE (Northwest Organization of Nurse Executives)
With Margaret Wheatley, Marie Manthey & Christina Baldwin
Seattle, Washington
From Life to Life Story: Transforming Self, Family, and Community Through Story
A course offered by the Kripalu Center, taught by Christina Baldwin
New Year, New Story: The Power of Story to Change Your Life and Your Career
Women’s Business Exchange Breakfast Meeting with Christina Baldwin
Seattle, Washington