The Art of Storytelling

/ Storytelling / By

It started when I was three. My grandfather nicknamed me “Gabby” because I was always talking about something. I had a need to share what was going on around me with anyone who would listen. As I matured, my self-expression took on other forms – like drawing and painting. How I loved to open a box of colorful crayons and see what my imagination could deliver to a blank piece of paper. That was the beginning of the art of storytelling for me.

As a mother, I was inspired to document my children’s lives with a film camera. That’s when I began to realize how natural light and composition enhanced the outcome of the photographs. I started to see the world through a lens and picked up details that I had missed before.

In the past several years, photography has become the center of my artistic life and expression. It has also made a pivotal impact on my career. Several years ago, I chose to take it beyond a hobby so I could capture and tell visual stories for other people – from family celebrations to showcasing what their businesses have to offer. As a marketing professional and web designer, I’ve been able to take the art of storytelling to another level.

These days, I happily listen to my mother as she describes the delight she experiences when another page in her adult coloring book is finished. The sweet memories of childhood are a glimpse into our future.

“What I notice is that every adult or child I give a new set of Crayolas to goes a little funny. The kids smile, get a glazed look on their faces, pour the crayons out, and just look at them for a while….The adults always get the most wonderful kind of sheepish smile on their faces–a mixture of delight and nostalgia and silliness. And they immediately start telling you about all their experiences with Crayolas.” 

― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Photo by Caren Libby – MADE at The Magic House – St Louis, Missouri

Caren Libby
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