From this Journey I will take...

From this journey I will take a certain level of appreciation for everyone’s stories. Stories don’t have to be formal, they don’t have to have words, and some don’t have to have endings, but you can come away from each story with a certain level of understanding. Someone took the time to sit down and tell you his or her story and it needs to be appreciated in its own little way.

I will also take with me an appreciation for every storyteller. Not everyone has to have the same views or opinions as me, but it is their right to tell me their story regardless. Everyone has a story to tell and digital storytelling is the perfect medium to do so. Everyone gets a chance to have his or her voice heard.

I have also learned that there can be theories behind any craft. Going into this course I would have never thought there was a person like Joe Lambert who theorizes about digital stories for a living. This isn't just a hobby, there are people who do this for a living. I really appreciate what Joe does in his workshops. His books are very informative, but just an average person isn't going to go out and buy a book. His workshops are great for getting people to learn the craft hands on.

I didn't particularly enjoy our conversations about different American cultures and their exposure to camera and photographs. I didn't really see the direct relevance and most of the time I just felt disrespected. On the other hand, I did enjoy our conversations about what makes a good story. I liked learning why I like certain pieces and what makes them special. I learned that I have a strong focus on economy and purpose. I apparently also like for stories to be straightforward and to the point. This is something I never would have learned on my own.

I have learned a new appreciation for TCF classes. They don’t always have to be the same. They don’t always have to be technical. There isn’t always a right or wrong answer. Everything is relative. What may be right to me may be wrong to someone else. I’ve learned from you that the framework for stories or packages or anything doesn’t always have to be the same to make people happy. Stories can be anything you make them, anything you want them to be. I am so happy to have taken this journey with all of you.