When the tapestry of human experiences is woven with the threads of digital storytelling, profound connections are forged. That's precisely what Maureen Leier, a dedicated nurse and Common Language digital storytelling facilitator, brings to light in our heartfelt conversation. We navigate the evolution from traditional healthcare to telehealth and the ripple effect of storytelling in this space. The nuances of crafting narratives both individually and within the vibrant tapestry of group workshops are discussed, revealing a world where shared stories knit stronger community bonds and foster intimate dialogue within families, preserving pivotal life moments and prompting generational conversations.
The power of storytelling to heal and support is a theme we return to time and again, and in this episode, we witness it in action. We unwrap the layers of a young mother's transformative journey catalyzed by kindness in healthcare, then traverse the emotional landscape of families affected by medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada, underscoring the founding of a support society. Our introspection doesn't stop there; we probe the significance of witnessing in storytelling, the delicate art of peeling back the layers of a tale, and the imperative of safe, trauma-informed spaces for both the teller and the audience. As Maureen and Kristy exchange stories and reflections, we reveal a shared understanding that while some narratives are intensely personal, their resonance can be universal, and the learning for storytellers and facilitators alike is never-ending.
Other Links Mentioned
About Our Guests
Maureen Leier is a digital storytelling facilitator and a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of experience, including providing care and support to children with medically complex conditions and their families, working as a consultant for the Ministry of Health, and working in Telehealth. As a storyteller and a digital storytelling facilitator, she has experienced firsthand how transformative digital storytelling can be. Maureen is passionate about the digital storytelling process and is committed to deep listening, asking curious questions, offering individualized support and guidance, and helping to co-create a safe space for stories to unfold. When we are given the opportunity, support, and space to make sense of our own stories, we connect to universal truths about ourselves, our world, and each other. We find our common ground.
Email Maureen
About Leading Through Stories
Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.
Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?
This podcast is presented by Common Language DST, digital storytelling facilitation training for health and wellness changemakers.
Don't miss an episode from Leading Through Stories!
Sign up for the Leading Through Stories newsletter, follow us on Instagram @LeadingThroughStories and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.
When the tapestry of human experiences is woven with the threads of digital storytelling, profound connections are forged. That's precisely what Maureen Leier, a dedicated nurse and Common Language digital storytelling facilitator, brings to light in our heartfelt conversation. We navigate the evolution from traditional healthcare to telehealth and the ripple effect of storytelling in this space. The nuances of crafting narratives both individually and within the vibrant tapestry of group workshops are discussed, revealing a world where shared stories knit stronger community bonds and foster intimate dialogue within families, preserving pivotal life moments and prompting generational conversations.
The power of storytelling to heal and support is a theme we return to time and again, and in this episode, we witness it in action. We unwrap the layers of a young mother's transformative journey catalyzed by kindness in healthcare, then traverse the emotional landscape of families affected by medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada, underscoring the founding of a support society. Our introspection doesn't stop there; we probe the significance of witnessing in storytelling, the delicate art of peeling back the layers of a tale, and the imperative of safe, trauma-informed spaces for both the teller and the audience. As Maureen and Kristy exchange stories and reflections, we reveal a shared understanding that while some narratives are intensely personal, their resonance can be universal, and the learning for storytellers and facilitators alike is never-ending.
Other Links Mentioned
About Our Guests
Maureen Leier is a digital storytelling facilitator and a Registered Nurse with over 30 years of experience, including providing care and support to children with medically complex conditions and their families, working as a consultant for the Ministry of Health, and working in Telehealth. As a storyteller and a digital storytelling facilitator, she has experienced firsthand how transformative digital storytelling can be. Maureen is passionate about the digital storytelling process and is committed to deep listening, asking curious questions, offering individualized support and guidance, and helping to co-create a safe space for stories to unfold. When we are given the opportunity, support, and space to make sense of our own stories, we connect to universal truths about ourselves, our world, and each other. We find our common ground.
Email Maureen
About Leading Through Stories
Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.
Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?
This podcast is presented by Common Language DST, digital storytelling facilitation training for health and wellness changemakers.
Don't miss an episode from Leading Through Stories!
Sign up for the Leading Through Stories newsletter, follow us on Instagram @LeadingThroughStories and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.
I love being part of a group where you can ask questions, where you can identify your own learning needs, what your strengths are, where you need room for development, and there's a whole group of supportive people to help with that. So it's really cool and I think we do all bring each other up and learn more when we're working together in that way.
Mike Lang:Welcome to Leading Through Stories, a podcast that explores the how and why of digital storytelling. My name is Dr Mike Lang and I'm the founder and lead instructor of Common Language Digital Storytelling. In each episode, our Level 3 facilitator, Kristy Wolfe, connects with storytellers or common language trained facilitators to learn more about the health and wellness stories that they are creating and sharing. Life is made up of meaningful moments. Which ones do you want to share?
Kristy Wolfe:With me today is Maureen Leier. Now Maureen is one of the Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitators. She's a Level 2 facilitator. But, maureen, will you tell people a bit more about yourself?
Maureen Leier:Professionally, my background is as a registered nurse, so I've got about 30 years experience, which is really letting people know exactly how old I am. So my background was in general, peds, pediatric Intensive Care, and then I worked in the community with kids who were technology dependent or medically complex, as a consultant, slash coordinator, helping families get the support they needed in the community and in the school, and then I had kids myself, took some time off and now I'm working in telehealth, which is also a lot of hearing people's stories, and now I'm really excited to be doing digital storytelling, which just allows a deeper story to be told in a really creative way, and I'm absolutely loving that work.
Kristy Wolfe:Will you also tell us about how you originally got involved with Common Language?
Maureen Leier:Yes. So I have a friend, melody, who was doing the work and I found myself really getting excited as she talked about it. I was looking at digital stories. I found myself recommending other people do it you know, my children, other people who were already in playwriting and either just came a point in time where I went, wow, like you're excited and telling other people because this is something you would actually like to do. So I signed up for Mike's Level 1 course and it was a really profound and transformative experience which further sold me obviously on this medium as being of tremendous value.
Kristy Wolfe:Well, so I'm just going to explain to the audience that Level 1, I explain this almost every episode, but I feel like there's sometimes new people that haven't heard this before so a Level 1 trained facilitator is working to co-create stories, so working one-on-one with people to create their stories. And I also want to mention that, maureen, you brought up Melody, another one of our facilitators with Common Language. She's got an episode already. So if people want to know a bit more about Melody and what she's doing, hers is Episode 6 of this season. I just wanted to jump in and say that. So you did your Level 1, you worked on co-creating stories, and now you've also done your Level 2, which is doing workshops. So what's the difference between those from your perspective?
Maureen Leier:Yeah, so my first individual stories were with family members, so my experience is a little bit different. I was using them as guinea pigs, so to speak, and what I found because my experience was pretty specific to that that the conversations got deeper, they were ongoing and they led to really fascinating conversations that we never would have anticipated. So my experience is a little bit different that way, in terms of the level of intimacy.
Kristy Wolfe:I also found that when I did my level one training like when you do a level one training, you are creating a story for yourself, and then you're also working with a volunteer. So you ask somebody to join you and you help them to create a digital story, and then we kind of have to practice that skill right, like that's not, it doesn't come naturally. So I also involved a number of family members. That's how I kind of got my feet under me asked my mom to do a digital story with me, I asked my husband's aunt to do a digital story People that I knew would be interested in this method of storytelling, and then it also allowed me to gain experience. So I could totally relate to what you're saying about having intimate conversations about topics that you don't get that deep on your average coffee chat 100%. I think that's actually how a lot of us end up building our skills and our confidence in our skills is by working with the people we know. What got you to think about doing level two and working in workshop?
Maureen Leier:Well, I had already been assisting Melody in the workshop format and saw that as just a really great progression in terms of my skill set, because that also involves not only doing the work we just talked about but also being cognizant of group dynamic, of time management, of pacing, reading a room. It takes your basic skill of the one-on-one and then it adds additional skills. So it's just really fun to learn and progress that way, and I had the advantage of already being involved in that workshop style where there are more moving parts and I personally find with workshops that when you have multiple people, they're not just getting my feedback about the story.
Kristy Wolfe:They're hearing from all of these different people who sometimes have similar experiences. When I've done a workshop with medical parents, for example, which ties into your experience as well, they start riffing off of each other about what their experience has been like, and it doesn't necessarily make it into the story, but the bonds are built and there is connection that's created in those workshops beyond just the stories themselves Absolutely.
Maureen Leier:And what I'm noticing, not only within the digital storytelling space but in other spaces where people come together, where there's a framework and an intentionality as to why you're there, it just leads to more intimate conversations and sharing and, as you point out, group learning. So there isn't a hierarchy per se. I mean, as a facilitator, you're kind of creating the conditions and holding space, but really the entire experience is co-created and that is much more in line with building community. So they both have huge benefit. But what I've experienced is that when people are learning and sharing together, if there's healing to be done, it's like throwing jet fuel on it. It really amplifies the experience for everybody. So I've had situations where I've been working with a storyteller but there was a workshop that may have been relevant and I almost feel like I was pushing them towards the workshop format because I really wanted them to have the richness of that type of experience.
Kristy Wolfe:When I did my level one training, I knew that I was going to go and do workshops, like I knew that I would do my level two. It was just a question of being comfortable with how to do a digital story, because that's the experience that I wanted people to have. When you think about digital storytelling and you think about digital stories that you've co-created with people or done in workshop, or even your own, is there one that stands out to you?
Maureen Leier:There is. I worked with a young mother and she had a couple of young kids and it really felt like a really wonderful collaboration. She was a little bit stumped and, while the subject matter was somewhat heavy, we just had a really fun synergy. What her story was about was a moment where she just had a transformational moment as a result of great kindness in a highly stressful situation where she was on the verge of a panic attack. She then talked about in that space. Because of the kindness that she had experienced, she was able to access her own tools and create great meaning and transformation in that moment.
Maureen Leier:It just really highlighted that small moments matter and small moments impact, particularly in the healthcare setting, for better or worse. Be mindful about the worlds we're creating, because there are stories that are being created for people based on how we're showing up in those spaces as healthcare professionals. Yeah, I think for my point of view, it landed as a human being. Of course, because her story was poignant and beautiful and the imagery she chose was really resonant. But yeah, because I'm a healthcare professional, my learning was impacted to see how that tiny moment, how you show up when you're dealing with someone in a remarkably vulnerable situation really, really not only as an impact for that moment. It really for her, this was a course changing moment where she decided she wanted more of that in her life once she had been exposed to that level of care. So, yeah, I think it's just really really beautiful. What can happen with these stories?
Kristy Wolfe:Oh, I love that. Is that story public?
Maureen Leier:I believe she gave permission on the Wellspring website. The other one, if I may, I mean a hugely impactful one for me personally, sort of a combo. The story I did, but also the one my father did, really was kind of a life review, and particularly in relationship to my mother he was able to articulate where he was at at the end, at the other end of the road, and what he had learned and where he had landed with so much grace and wisdom. That was then shared with my whole family at a family event. So to see his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, taking that in and impacting the entire family was really poignant.
Kristy Wolfe:Oh, that's amazing. We have a story of my father-in-law did of the family business. It was incredible to watch and have that to pass on to our kids in his voice, with his images and his story, when he's no longer here. If those are public stories, I will share them. If they're not, because that's something that we talk about as facilitators, your story doesn't have to be public, knowing that some of these stories that we're discussing on leading through stories, sometimes they're not public but we've had permission from the storyteller to talk about the experience of it. Do you have a project that's coming up for you that you're excited or looking forward to?
Maureen Leier:Yeah, and these synergies just are fascinating, how things plop into place right time, right place.
Kristy Wolfe:So I have a coworker whose father went through a maid death and let's just take a second and explain what maid is for people who don't know.
Maureen Leier:So maid is medical assistance in dying and it's been legal in Canada, I believe, since about 2016,. And her story takes place a couple of years after it was legalized. So this was early days. Her story is going to be beautiful. We're still in the process of doing it, but her starting point was her father's last words, which were to the doctor, which was keep doing this incredible work around maid. And the other words came from her sister, which were I wish we could have had someone to talk to about this. And so she took those to heart and she went on to found maid family support society.
Maureen Leier:They have a whole group of volunteers who have lived experience with maid to serve that exact purpose, so that people who are supporting a loved one through maid can access support for themselves. Because what I'm getting from her story, at least in her case, is that there are really two parallel experiences. The person who's accessing maid obviously sees an end to their suffering and can be quite relieved and at peace and excited, because at the same time, the family is feeling at least in her case anxious and like they've been rear-ended. You know whiplash, depending on how it plays out. So she went on to found the Made Family Support Services.
Maureen Leier:So there's a workshop coming up that I'm super excited about. That is happening for the volunteers, both with her organization and another organization that's based in Toronto. So happy that these stories are going to get told and that we get to participate in the telling of those stories. It's all part of a bigger nationwide research project coming out of Lakehead University. That's really, really exciting. And again, just on a personal level, just to have a personal friend and colleague take her moments which could have gone either way and basically have that result in transformation for her and for many, many, many others. So you know what a story right, it's an incredible story.
Kristy Wolfe:I can't wait to hear how the Maid. I mean, it sounds weird to say I'm really excited about the Maid workshop, but I am. I think this is topics that need to be talked about openly, and that feeling of not having anybody or we didn't know shouldn't be happening in 2024. So let's have conversations about Maid. Let's talk about it so people don't feel alone when there is a situation in their life where they're dealing with a loved one who would like to use that route Exactly.
Maureen Leier:Yeah, I totally agree.
Kristy Wolfe:You're involved with workshops. You are co-creating stories. If somebody wanted to work with you, how did they get a hold of you?
Maureen Leier:You can certainly drop me an email at maureenleier@gmail. com. Beyond that, I've been dragging my heels on some of the more social media public-facing piece of it. As to date it's things have just sort of evolved without that and I do have other full-time employment, but I'll be working on some other ways that people can get a hold of me with your Kr isty Wolfe.
Kristy Wolfe:This is literally where leading true stories came from. It is highlighting the work that the facilitators within Common Language are doing and sharing that work. So I'm really excited about the fact that we actually have a entrepreneur mentorship group starting within our collective, because one of the challenges when you come out of level one training is okay, I know how to do this, but how do I tell people I know how to do this and so starting to build some of those things? So, moraine, I am looking forward to our meeting to kind of focus on what is it and where do you want to be and do you want people to be able to find you, because that's not everybody's goal. Some people are tied to organizations, but I know that you are interested in doing some other stories, so let's talk about it.
Maureen Leier:Let's talk about it. Yeah, let's have a conversation. Really excited that you're offering that, thank you.
Kristy Wolfe:I like doing it, and it makes me think about business again, right, like you learn something from other people, and so that's also going to help me.
Maureen Leier:Well, and I love the fact that in the collective again, same thing like healing happens more quickly in a group learning happens more quickly in a group. The support is there and I love being part of a group where you can ask questions, where you can identify your own learning needs, where what your strengths are, where you need room for development, and there's a whole group of supportive people to help with that. So it's really cool and I think we do all bring each other up and learn more when we're working together in that way.
Kristy Wolfe:Well, and I'm just going to touch on that for a second, so when you do your level one common language training, you actually get a year-long membership within our like continuing education practice. So we meet monthly, we have mentorship meetings, we also do continuing education to learn more. And then last year we ran our first retreat with facilitators. So we all got together in person, because a lot of this work for us is virtual, and so we brought facilitators together to talk about what it's like to be doing digital stories, how to improve on those skills, where we want to go next, and that was incredible. And, maureen, are you Retreat to the ? Of course I'm going. Are you kidding me? We'll get to hang out in person and talk all about digital storytelling, aside from our regular like virtual meetings. So I'm really looking forward to that. All right, maureen. Last question Are you ready for this? I'm ready. Hit me, okay. If you were going to create a digital story personally, what digital story would you tell? What would your meaningful moment be now?
Maureen Leier:You know, what I found was the first story that I created it was. It just came out viscerally like this is the story that's ready to be told. Right, I think you may have had the similar experience. You really have to check in with your body and just it kind of comes to you and even though this is very fresh, because there had been so much beautiful conversation and processing all along the way and having had a grief experience in the past was something that was very traumatic versus a grief experience when my father passed, you know, surrounded by family, with my mother holding his hand such a different experience. So, while it took me 30 years to talk about, you know, my initial story, I could probably do that story next week because there was more processing, processing, processing all along, and that could be an incredible bookend to some of the other personal work. I've done so with my family members, so I think that might that could be the direction I go.
Kristy Wolfe:I like that and I really resonated when you said like a visceral story we find and I don't know if you've found this as well, but like when I co-create a story or when we do a workshop, somebody will come in with like, okay, here's the story I'm going to tell. They have this like very distinct idea and by the end it's something totally different. And yes, my very first story when I was doing my level one training was like I was literally living it, which we don't recommend. Do not do a story when you're in the middle of it. But I've processed like that with photography for a long time and like it's how I get through some things. So for me it worked. But it was right in the middle and thinking about like this is hitting right now and why is this important to me to tell this story as I'm living it, kind of thing.
Maureen Leier:And something you just pointed out, one of the most amazing things is, literally down the street there's a current First Nations art installation called the Witness Blanket and I was just, you know, looking at a bit of the documentary this morning and he talks about how, in his First Nations culture, when there's a ceremony, they literally call up witnesses to see and hear what's happening. And that's what's so compelling about this work is, as you witness, the story layers, the onion layers get peeled off, sort of to your point that people come in with a particular idea of what they want to talk about and there's a lot of layers, you know there's a lot of layers there. Am I telling my family story? Is this more of a legacy for the person? And it takes.
Maureen Leier:It's so weird to think that people need permission almost to tell their story. I think our culture doesn't support it. So it's so fascinating to see when trust is building and when the curious questions keep getting asked and the layers peel away. What people end up with is sometimes radically different and it's a discovery process and you're along for the ride. Really, it kind of gives me goosebumps. It's just really an awe-inspiring space to be in with people.
Kristy Wolfe:Now I want to know a little bit more about this witness blanket. Where are you? I know where you are, but tell everybody else where you are.
Maureen Leier:I'm in West Vancouver, bc, and I can send you the link. I was literally at the library yesterday. It's a big installation. The creator was being interviewed by the CBC. I tried to get in to hear him speak. I think it was jam-full, couldn't get in, but it was recommended that I look at the documentary, the witness blanket, but it's incredibly compelling work, right on point with what we do. I think he also in the little bit of the intro that I listened to, he said he was speaking with his daughter I believe he said his daughter who said people shouldn't be forced to be like each other, and his comment was that's exactly what residential school was set up to do is to wipe out individuality, culture, language. It was to make everything homogenous. That's not how we're wired as human beings. The other bit and I think this came out in one of the workshops a participant came up with the line the specific is universal and the universal is boring.
Kristy Wolfe:Oh, I like that.
Maureen Leier:Right, I believe it was in our level two training. It was relayed to us that one of the participants had said that in the workshop, and how true is that right.
Kristy Wolfe:Well, and I am looking at the witness blanket and I am just really actually blown away with how the website addresses the safe space aspect of preparing people before they go into the website. There is a drop-down menu in the top corner that talks about if you're in crisis and you need to talk more, links to how to find out more or get support, and when we think about facilitating conversation and disseminating digital stories that's some of the things we talk about as facilitators is supporting the audience as well, and so this website has done a really great job of it. I will include it in the show notes as well.
Maureen Leier:Then back to being part of a collective where there's ongoing education. It's essential that digital storytelling facilitators are trauma-informed. Again, just this huge benefit of being part of a collective because these stories are important but there could be unintended consequences for people telling those stories and one needs to be prepared and be fully informed. And so, yeah, I believe again, I just love the idea that that gets addressed within the education that we're receiving as digital storytelling facilitators. No, 100%.
Kristy Wolfe:Well, Maureen, this has been incredible. I'm going to go spend some time on this website and learn more. Thank you for coming on and talking about your experience as a storyteller.
Maureen Leier:That is super great opportunity, always fun to talk to you, thank you.
Mike Lang:Thanks for listening to this episode of Leading Through Stories, presented by Common Language Digital Storytelling facilitator. Training for health and wellness change makers. Everyone has a story to tell and we would love to hear from you what resonated for you in this episode. What health and wellness story do you want to tell? You can email Kristy@commonlanguagedst. org or find us on Instagram at Leading Through Stories. Don't miss out on the next episode. Subscribe to Leading Through Stories on your favorite podcast platform or sign up for our newsletter to get new episodes straight to your inbox. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you next time.