Started a work blog.

I have started a blog to put up all work information. It is at Kim's work blog.

Dinner in the dark performance.

Next week, I am storytelling for a dinner in the dark event to promote accessibility. I'm happy to do it. It amuses me slightly that this dining in the dark seems to be big business. People want to pay large chunks of money to do it. There are restaurants that specialize in it. Au noir is one in Montreal and Toronto and they also exist in Europe and I'm sure other places. It really makes me laugh to think that I do this every day in a way and that others pay a lot to do it. I would have never dreamed that this type of experience would be so highly valued.

Finding stories.

It's odd that sometimes when you think you know what story you will create (or not create) it never works quite that way. Storytelling tonight at the tea party cafe 119 York street in the market from 7 to 8:30 PM with fellow storyteller Joanna Smith. Our set is about mythical creatures. i said, "No autobiographical stories this time. Just brownies and giants." As an intro to my brownie story, I was going to tell 2 lines about my own experience as a brownie. These two lines expanded and expanded into a story I had forgotten and actually did not know was a story until it came out of me. Much tweeking and reworking later, I am becoming happy with it. so interesting that the creative process is never quite what you think it is at the beginning.

Storytelling next week at the tea party.

I will be telling stories next Tuesday at the tea party cafe. 119 York street in Ottawa with new storyteller Joanna Smith. She is great! Our theme is mythical creatures. But somehow, no matter what I do, my own autobiographical material creeps in. Want to know about being a bad blind brownie? My act of inadvertent vandalism? And yes mythical creatures come into play too. Come to the tea party and find out all about it.

Storytelling next week at the tea party.

I will be telling stories next Tuesday at the tea party cafe. 119 York street in Ottawa with new storyteller Joanna Smith. She is great! Our theme is mythical creatures. But somehow, no matter what I do, my own autobiographical material creeps in. Want to know about being a bad blind brownie? My act of inadvertent vandalism? And yes mythical creatures come into play too. Come to the tea party and find out all about it.

You never know!

I told stories in a very loud, crowded environment the other day. It is usually not the best type of place to do it and I thought that it was a big disaster. We all have performances like that from time to time. It appeared to me that no one was really listening and there was a lot of background noise. i got through it. I left. Afterwards, I have heard good comments. Only goes to show that you just have !trust in yourself and your art. It is not the best place or way to tell stories but it seems it was slightly better than I had thought it would be.

Thinking about ancient Greece.

The storytelling community here in Ottawa is becoming very excited about an upcoming event. A storytelling performance of Homer's odyssey. 8 hours of storytelling. 17 storytellers taking about half an hour each. Not reading! Storytelling. I've been trying to learn my book and it hasn't been easy. Somehow, the language isn't flowing for me. We suspected yesterday at rehearsal it is because the images from that time aren't clear in my head. What were the palaces like? The clothing? The feel the smell of the place? Somehow I have to get myself more into that world so that I can tell my part of the story with real flow and conviction. Very interesting process. Any helpful descriptions would be welcome.

On tv tonight and thanks to a friend.

I am on tv here in Canada tonight on a channel called cbc bold in a program called creative block.  I will provide its link at the bottom of this post.  The link just posts a small fragment of the show.  I don't believe it is on line but I could be wrong about that.  At the end of the season, I will receive a copy.  After I tried to listen to the clip, my friend Gary called and he described all of the action to me.  I was so glad.  What I heard in the clip was just me talking and I didn't know about the various shots, people shown, my poster for my show, etc.  I could hear the differences between my studio voice and my voice on stage.  However, I didn't know anything about the variety of shots and things they showed just in this small clip.  Thanks Gary for your kindness.  Thanks cbc for filming me.  Thanks storytelling for giving me such a great career.  Thanks to all of you for reading my blog.  I'm most grateful for it all.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CBC-Creative-Block/197241526959251?ref=tn_tnmn

Learn something new every day. Now I know about etch-a-sketches!

In a story I told last night, I mentioned my friends crazes with etch a sketches when we were growing up.  I also said that I didn't have one and didn't understand them at all. After my story, several kind friends explained them to me.  They sure didn't seem like fun when I was little and they still don't seem like fun but at least I know now what they are like and what they do. 

Kids are so wonderful.

I spent a delightful afternoon yesterday with some tiny kids at a school. They were from about 3 to 6 mostly. I came in the room and they said, "You are blind." "How did you know I was blind?" "Our teacher told us." "Any other reason?" "One eye is open and the other isn't so I guess you are half blind." "No I'm all the way blind. How else do you know?" "you have a dog." Did storytelling and talking about Tulia. Then at the end, "Does anyone have any questions?" Many hands shot up but all had the same question, "When can we pat the dog?" Harness came off and Tulia and kids were all happy with their mutual admiration of each other. Guess they didn't mind the storytelling either! Smile!

great things about being blind. Music, storytelling, and guide dogs make an impression

Yesterday, I volunteered with some singing friends. They sing in a small group either trio or quartet. We all went to a group of people who are homeless or at least are at risk of being homeless. I went along to tell stories and of course had Tulia my guide dog with me. As the hour progressed, people interacted with us all more and more. Listening to the songs, suggesting carols, and laughing at my funny stories. I had two stories to tell. At the end they begged for another one. After all was done, I took Tulia's harness off and some of them patted her and she rolled around looking for belly rubs of course. The combination of music, stories, and dogs was a magical one. Touched my heart. As we left, huge snowflakes were tumbling from the sky. Thank you to my friend for inviting me along. To those who listened and welcomed us all.

Great things about being blind. Still receiving great comments on my show.

I am still receiving lots of great comments about my storytelling show.  Thank you to all who came and listened and commented.  You are all wonderful!  In another post, I am going to re-post a blog entry from Jan Andrews of two women productions who produced and assisted with the creation of the show.  It was such a pleasure to perform and I hope I get to perform it again and again and again.

Another full rehearsal of my one woman show.

One more full rehearsal of my show today. It is so interesting to see how it has progressed. The first full run through, we were very happy with the second half and not with the first half. The second run through, very happy with the first half and not the second half. I've made changes. Hopefully tightened things up a bit. So, hopefully today we will be happy with the whole. Rehearsing a show that is an hour and a half long takes time in itself. Wish me luck. Here's hoping it is great today. Only one week left until the first performance. See the link for more details on it.My show and two women productions

Great things about being blind. Explaining the inaccessible.

I took a really great storytelling workshop with a wonderful storyteller yesterday. I learned a great deal. It was a wonderful day with a great group of storytellers. I am so grateful to have such wonderful friends. Whenever something was a little visual, they explained it to me without me having to ask. When I asked further questions, the workshop leader or my friends explained further. It is so great when people do this naturally and don't make you feel stupid or like you are taking too much of someone's time. What a wonderful feeling to be part of such an inclusive group and how great it is to always learn new things.

Glad to be performing our olympic paralympic material again.

As the olympics and paralympics approach, my fellow storyteller Sherri Yazdani and I are thriled to be starting to perform our olympic and paralympic stories again. I will be performing my paralympic story for a workplace team building next week and we are doing our set for another workplace event in a couple of weeks. The program is wonderful and riveting. If you would like to book us, contact me at kimjkilpatrick@gmail.com

Storytelling at the teap party on October 11

I will be performing with fellow storyteller Lisa Virtue at the tea party cafe 119 York street in Ottawa next Tuesday October 11 from 7 to 8:30.
My stories are of holidays. My most memorable thanksgiving. A dog with a passion for holiday eating.
Lisa is telling a tale about a summer stunt and there may be some skunky adventures too.
Come and join us.

Proud to be learning part of the odyssey

We started on an epic journey yesterday. 17 storytellers with 17 different storytelling voices, all going to tell the whole odyssey in one day on June 16 of 2012.
A day long experience for audience and tellers.
Something not to be missed.
I'm honoured to be telling a tale so ancient with such beautiful language.
Telling this type of material enhances all the other types of stories I craft and tell.

Storytelling workshop begins again.

I've begun delivering my second storytelling workshop on autobiographical storytelling. what an interesting group and wonderful participation. I learn so much from doing this. We are in a new wonderful location and I enjoyed myself so much. You always learn a lot when you teach.

The process of creation.

I'm working away at my one woman show which will get its debut this November thanks to Jan and Jennifer at two women productions. It is quite a process. Creating, recording myself, writing, editing, trying things out on others, discussing, working with my voice and words, and more. I spent a full day working on it with Jan and Jennifer and last night I felt like I had run two marathons, swam a river, and then walked across Canada. But it is tremendously exciting and rewarding and hard work. Seeing it take shape is amazing. Stay tuned for dates and locations.

Storytelling at the tea party cafe.

I will be telling stories at the tea party cafe 119 york street in Ottawa next Tuesday the 27th from 7 to 8:30.
My stories will be about first jobs, and about my relationship with our local fair.
Come and enjoy.