All Things Narrative Presents:
The LIVE A MEANINGFUL STORY Podcast
Connecting the movies we love with the stories we live
Ep. 24: Becoming an Entrepreneur, A Story IV His Glory (with Sheim Francis)
Let me introduce you to dedicated teacher, spoken-word artist, and successful entrepreneur Sheim Francis. Sheim shares his story of belonging, obedience, and resilience. Along the way, we discuss the struggles and joys that come with being an entrepreneur as Sheim shares the journey of starting his own company, IV His Glory.
Ep. 23: Why We Love Spider-Man (Part 2)
We continue our celebration of Spider-Man's 60th Anniversary with an in-depth discussion about Spider-Man's villains, love interests, supporting characters, various depictions in film, TV, and comics, and how Spider-Man inspires us to live a meaningful story.
Ep. 22: Why We Love Spider-Man (Part 1)
It's the 60th Anniversary of everyone's favorite web-slinger! And to celebrate, we are doing an in-depth 2-part episode where we discuss the mythos, philosophy, and themes of Peter Parker and everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Join us as we converse about the various films, shows, games, and comics that have made Spider-Man one of the greatest pop culture icons of the last hundred years.
Ep. 21: How to Become a Better Listener
In this month's Narrative 101, we share how the tools of Witnessing (also called Outsider Witnessing) in Narrative Practices can make you a better listener with your clients, students, and loved ones. Derrick also shares his personal journey towards becoming a better listener. Plus, we feature a cameo from Narrative Therapist and previous podcast guest Jill Freedman!
Ep. 20: The Hero in All of Us (with Jeff Ritter)
What if you could inspire kids in need through kindness and cosplay? Joining us today is Jeff Ritter, the founder of Jeffro's Heroes For Humanity. We discuss Jeff's journey in starting his company, what it means to embody a superhero (and why they matter), and how you can become a hero to those around you.
Ep. 19: Why We Love Lord of the Rings & Narnia
Welcome to the lands of Middle Earth & Narnia! This week, fellow story enthusiast Ryan Mating joins Derrick to explore two of the greatest fantasy franchises of all time. We compare and contrast Tolkien's and Lewis' approaches to storytelling, dive deep into the mythology of Middle Earth & Narnia, and share our favorite moments from these fantasy epics that help us live a meaningful story.
Ep. 18: You Are A Storyteller
What story does your life tell? In our fifth Narrative 101, we begin tying everything together as we discuss how to tell our stories in ways that make us stronger through definitional ceremonies, resulting in more personal agency in our lives.
Ep. 17: Working with Communities Through Collective Narrative Practices (with David Denborough)
Today I am honored to share my conversation with world-renowned Narrative Practitioner, teacher, and writer David Denborough. We discuss David's experience working in prisons, contributing to social actions, deconstructing masculinity, and his use of songs and folk culture to honor people's stories.
Ep. 16: Why We Love Disney & Pixar
It's time to wish upon a star as we discuss the most influential animation studios of all time: Disney & Pixar. We discuss the role of fairy tales in culture, how these stories shape our fantasies at a young age, and our differing perspectives on a variety of Disney & Pixar films.
Ep. 15: Living Intentionally (The Elements of Story in Your Life)
Narrative Practices is all about helping people live their preferred stories more intentionally. So like a writer telling their story, how can we use the elements of story (plot, character, setting, theme) to live more intentionally the kinds of lives that are meaningful to us? We explore all this and more on this month's edition of Narrative 101.
Ep. 14: Narrative Panel #1
Welcome to our first panel featuring Narrative Practitioners from Australia, Canada, and America. We discuss a variety of topics, including our use of language with those we work with, the discourses within 'Tick, Tick, BOOM', and the importance of being de-centered, yet influential in our work.
Ep. 13: All About Dreams
What do we make of our dreams? This Transparent Tuesday, I share a few of the dreams that shaped the direction of my personal narrative, and the whispers of the Transcendent along the way. I also give some updates on the collective document, and this podcast as a whole.
Ep. 12: Why We Love Marvel (Part 2)
In part 2 of “Why We Love Marvel”, we discuss the characters and themes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, share our rankings, and explore how Marvel superheroes can help us live a meaningful story.
Ep. 11: Why We Love Marvel (Part 1)
It's time to begin our deep-dive into the world that is Marvel. In part 1, we discuss the history of Marvel, the superhero mythos, the art of comic book storytelling, and our own personal journeys with Marvel.
Ep. 10: How Narratives Shape Identity
For this Narrative 101, we begin exploring the vast topic that is personal identity. We discuss the differences between group and individual identity, nature vs. nurture, the Narrative Practices approach to identity, and how the ideas, relationships, and stories that surround us influence who we become.
Ep. 9: The Story of Becoming an Inclusive Storyteller (with Kristin Pedemonti)
On this week's episode, I interview Award-Winning Storyteller and fellow Narrative Practitioner Kristin Pedemonti, and how her willingness to say "yes" to life led her to working on 5 different continents. We discuss Kristin's passion for Narrative Practices and storytelling, what it was like auditioning for TED, her de-colonizing work in other countries, infiltrating the world bank, the Japanese art of Kintsugi, and how she broke up a fight on the New York subway.
Ep. 8: Security or Adventure?
What do you do when you're stuck in a rut? When I graduated from college, I thought that everything would fall into place. Of course it didn't quite work out like that. I needed to make tough choices, including where I was going to work and live. It was time to leave the comforts of home and venture into the unknown. This Transparent Tuesday is all about the friend that convinced me to go, the friend that got me there, the friend that took me in once I arrived, and the woman who made the adventure worthwhile.
Ep. 7: Why We Love Star Wars
We get dicey with hot-takes all around as we discuss the beloved Star Wars franchise. Focusing exclusively on the films (particularly the Skywalker Saga), we explore Star Wars as a myth that embodies the Hero's Journey, how Anakin is the product of his environment, whether it's appropriate to deconstruct your heroes, and how Star Wars inspires us to live a meaningful story.
Ep. 6: People are Not Their Problems; People Are Multi-Storied
For this Narrative 101, we discuss externalizing problems, how problems are rooted in contexts, what it means to take responsibility for the problems we face, internal vs. intentional states, and the dangers of identifying someone by a single story.
Ep. 5: The Story of Becoming a TV Screenwriter (with Kyle Arrington)
On this week's episode, I interview Hollywood Screenwriter Kyle Arrington, and how a combination of timing, location, luck, and perseverance landed him writing roles on hit TV shows such as The Originals, House M.D., and Conan. We discuss how we find inspiration from the stories around us, sharing your passion project with others, what it's like being in a writers room, Derrick's pitch for a Silver Surfer film, and how we learn from both our successes and our failures.
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