When I was reading the book On Brand, one of the activities is to create a Venn Diagram of who you are. I had initially done this activity when I was teaching, so Lecturer was a big part of the diagram. I revisited the diagram to align with my current goals as a creator.
One of the activities that I’m planning on doing more of is podcasting – and more specifically narrative podcasting. I launched Definitely Not Famous where I interview memoir authors who are not celebrities about their books and their writing process. It isn’t a simple interview-based podcast, rather, it is a narrative interview podcast where I take a conversation and build it into a story. It feels more journalistic in nature. It is definitely a different format than my previous podcast – Demystifying Instructional Design.
I’m in the process of writing for and launching a new podcast based upon my experiences as a two-time breast cancer survivor – called Never knew I wanted to be a breast cancer survivor. This podcast is completely narrative in nature – that is, it is just me, telling my story. It involves not just writing, but also performing the audio recording of the story.
In both cases, for podcasting, I do the audio editing and production. In addition, I create marketing materials such as shorts or reels to help promote the podcasts. I maintain websites for the podcasts and write blog posts. Podcasting uses a culmination of skills that I have honed through years of teaching instructional design.
The other side of my identity is that of a writer. In this case, I am a book author having self-published my first memoir, Never Knew I Wanted to be a Breast Cancer Survivor. I’ve been a serious blogger since 2008 and I’m foraying into writing essays. I have had a few small pieces published, but they are more short stories than essays. The essay is a form that I’m working on.
I’m a storyteller and educator. I spend my days writing, learning, connecting, and sharing.
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