Participants of this workshop will understand the impact listening and telling stories has on the mind and body. They will learn the steps to crafting and telling their own personal story by engaging in discussion, reflecting on their own experiences, and seeing each step modeled by the presenter. Participants will also receive a template to use and share as they craft personal stories beyond the workshop.
Instructor: Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Paul D. Best, “Our Sun Paul,” is an “old soul” on a mission to spread his passion for history and storytelling to anyone who is willing to listen and learn. His experience in youth work, education, and the visual & folk arts have forged a unique path, allowing him to impact communities worldwide through education, photography, and storytelling. His youthful energy and down-to-earth approach teaches all generations to come together and understand the history of their people, cherish memories of times past, and preserve them both for the generations to come.
Paul firmly believes that true liberation for all people can only occur when we honor our ancestors and respect and consult our elders. Paul’s dedication to these ideals led to the elders of his community giving him the name “Our Sun Paul,” to serve as a constant reminder to shine a light on the darkness of the world through his work.
When not teaching or telling, you can find him writing short stories from his life, traveling the world with his camera, and doing self-care by following the direction his elders often gave him as a child: “Get somewhere and sit down!”
This program is in tandem with the exhibition Local Voices: Memories, Stories and Portraits.
Local Voices: Memories, Stories and Portraits is supported by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.