MODDC hosts storyteller Shannon M. Turner “My Journey: Mapping and Cultivating Personal Stories for Advocacy” on June 27

The Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council (MODDC) invites the public to their “Learning with MODDC” online workshop with storyteller Shannon M. Turner with StoryMuse at 3 p.m. CT, Monday, June 27. This workshop is virtual, hosted by Zoom. Turner will cover storytelling for advocacy, increasing the participant’s skills in storytelling. Self-advocates and advocates are encouraged to use their new skills when advocating at the Missouri State Capitol.

Become a Storyteller

In this workshop, Turner, Founder and Creative Director of StoryMuse, will guide participants through storytelling basics, including structure, vulnerability, details and change. Participants will practice deep listening and cultivate personal stories as a means for how to build empathy and advocate for themselves through storytelling. Participants will explore themes like “ableism, dignity, and resources,” and how they inform our advocacy. In the end, participants will practice telling stories to legislators and in other advocacy environments.

“One of my favorite sayings from the storytelling world is: ‘The shortest distance between two human hearts is a story.’ Storytelling is not about fast, flashy solutions, but rather, it’s slow technology, allowing tellers and listeners to build intentional, valuable bonds between them. It’s all about helping us know ourselves and each other more authentically.”

Shannon M. Turner, Founder and Creative Director of StoryMuse

About StoryMuse

Turner is the Founder and Creative Director of StoryMuse, which offers storytelling techniques as a tool for personal discernment, team building, and community development in effort to cultivate a world where all stories are heard and honored. Turner serves as an independent consultant who conducts workshops and provides coaching to individuals and organizations seeking to use true, personal stories for transformative potential. She has more than two decades of professional experience and an MFA from Virginia Tech. Read more at www.storymuse.net.

About MODDC

The Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council (MODDC) is a federally-funded, 23-member, consumer-driven council appointed by the Governor. Its mandate under P.L. 106-402, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity and integration in all aspects of community life. To learn more or to get involved, visit www.moddcouncil.org.