Here in the DC Metro area, we’re gearing up for the fourth annual Women’s Storytelling Festival. In a scant few weeks we’ll be welcoming twenty-six mighty tellers for a celebration of women and the spoken word. It promises to be a fantastic, fulfilling, and fascinating weekend.
To whet your appetite for this extravaganza, over the course of the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to the fine performers that will grace our stages. You can read about all of the 2023 festival storytellers here.
And, as is our way, we’ll be making those introductions by way of questions and answers.
This first group of tellers is a storied lot. It consists of Jennifer Munro, Donna Washington, Kim Weitkamp, and Megan Wells.
We asked the following…
What’s your most consistent source of inspiration?
This is what they had to say…
Jennifer Munro: My most consistent source of inspiration comes from listening to other people’s stories, which inevitably make me say, “Oh, that reminds of when . . .” More often than not, a new story eventually finds its way into existence.
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Donna Washington: This question doesn’t have a clear answer. I am inspired by everything around me. So…life? I am inspired by the things I encounter as I navigate through the tricky twists and turns that are part of life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am inspired by the people I love, hate, fear, and envy. I am inspired by making mistakes, little triumphs, learning, losing, winning, love, arguments, politics, history, and literature. So…all? I am inspired by everything? That’s all I’ve got.
Kim Weitkamp: As cliche as this sounds, daily life is my greatest source. I live esthetically, always looking and listening to everything around me, no matter where or who I’m with. It’s in the humdrum moments of daily life that I find the greatest pearls.
Megan Wells: Reading multiple versions of a story or about the subject. I am absolutely nerdish about finding as many variance as I can get my hands on. By reading different versions, the consistent resonances assert themselves. Also, the more I read about the culture and the context of each variant I get a richer palette of possibilities!
If the above has inspired you as much as it has us, then please join in on the fun! The festival runs from March 24th to 26th in historic downtown Fairfax, VA, and can also be enjoyed online via Zoom. Ticket prices and details can all be found here!
