Writing About the Process

I’ll start with a bold statement – storytelling used as a tool in rehabilitation brain injury is a good idea – a damn good idea - because storytelling will assist and encourage the acceptance and appreciation of self-identity. Studies on this topic are few and far between, but the few qualitative studies that do exist and examine some variation of storytelling used in rehabilitation add credence to my statement.

My experience using storytelling also happens to agree with me.

Furthermore, in my experience with people, this idea intuitively makes sense, as everyone I’ve spoken with quickly understands the reasoning behind such a claim.

Upon reflection, my statement wasn’t that bold a start, so I’ll adjust it – An easily repeatable method for using storytelling as a tool for rehabilitation must be developed and available as a tool in rehabilitation. Once such a method is defined, clinical tests should occur so that the process can be modified and employed in the most beneficial manner, encouraging the acceptance of self-identity and assisting community reintegration after brain injury.

That statement is a little more bold, as it suggests what must be done to build upon the intuitively accepted first statement. It’s not a bold, shocking statement that inspires paradigm transformation, but it does state a need and suggests what must be done to correct.

As anyone who has followed this blog knows, storytelling for rehabilitation is kinda my thing. That said, my research and writings on the topic are missing a vital component – an explanation of how one does this “storytelling” thing. We are missing a defined method.

I’ll admit that I’ve started writing a “how to” essay/book/blog/pamphlet before and have numerous drafts of first chapters stored on various hard-drives scattered about the world and internet ether, but due to commitments, limited focus, and the angst that develops when recognizing the magnitude of the task, my attempts have been self-stifled. Put another way – I’ve had shit to do…got distracted…time after time…for years. 

So I’m taking a new approach – still aiming to write a process of how to use storytelling to assist recovery after TBI, but instead of a step-by-step method I’m going to approach this challenge freeform and explain ideas as they occur to me. The requirement of an order is one of the things that has tangled prior attempts at writing – tangential thoughts arise in my head, sprouting branches of thoughts that take me away from trunk of the idea, and then these branches bloom into more possibilities, and eventually I become lost – what began as a clear trunk devolves into a twine of twig-ish tangents. I get frustrated, easily distracted, and nothing is complete. Therefore, for this series of blogs I abandon the confines of step-by-step and will write about parts of this technique as I feel inspired.  The plan (hope) is that once a sufficient number entires have been written, I will arrange these blogs into a linear fashion ready to be presented as something more “official”.  But I’m avoiding that pressure for now. Look at this series will be an extended brainstorming process until I feel ready for the next step.

And so, as this is (in-part) an exploration of process meant to clarify a method, I encourage you to write questions that occur while reading – suggestions – concerns – random thoughts – recipes for foods that are easy to eat mid-rehearsal – comment as you are inspired. Let’s make this a collaboration. While I do have this a tree trunk of an idea, I like it when the tree has even more branches, leaves and flowers. I want your help making this tree bloom to its full glory before any pruning occurs.

Therefore, in advance, thank you for all your good ideas.

This is where we begin.  The next entry will be my hypothesis of why storytelling works as a tool in rehabilitation and I have a few entry ideas after that, but let’s see where it goes.

Thank you for reading along and sharing your ideas. I’m excited to discover what we are creating.