Why I Believe Stories Are Like Dandelion Seeds
Welcome to Dandelion Tales, a podcast about the stories behind the stories. Here's why I named it after the humble dandelion, and why your story matters.
When was the last time you picked a dandelion clock and blew? Do you remember watching the seeds drift off into the air, with no idea where they were going to land?
That's what stories are like to me. Once a story leaves us, we never know who will hear it, where it will settle or what it will grow into. But wherever it lands, it takes
root.
That's why I called my podcast Dandelion Tales.
The "weed" that isn't
We pull dandelions out of our lawns and call them weeds. Yet every part of the plant can be eaten, from the flowers to the leaves to the roots. It's also one of the first flowers to open in spring, just when the bees are waking up and need it most.
Stories are a lot like that. We often dismiss them, especially women's stories, and particularly the everyday ones. But they feed us, and they keep things growing.
The stories behind the stories
On Dandelion Tales I'll be digging into the stories behind the stories. That means the stories behind women, the stories behind businesses, and the stories that have been reshaped over generations to suit the people who held the power.
I'm especially interested in what our young people are being given. Many of the fairy tales we grew up with no longer offer the hope or guidance they once did, and too many children can't see themselves in the characters.
Where my own story began
I started storytelling in 2005, when anxiety and depression had kept me inside my own home. Some days I couldn't even go into my back garden. It felt like a brick wall stood between me and the world.
Stepping onto a stage for the first time changed that. I found I could take that anxiety and turn it into something more powerful. So I started telling stories, especially old ones about strong, resourceful women who found their way through.
One of my favourites comes from the One Thousand and One Nights, also known as the Arabian Nights. Many people don't realise that the storyteller at its heart is a woman, Scheherazade, who tells story after story to stay alive. Her story deserves an episode of its own, and it will get one.
Why your story matters
For a long time I believed my story wasn't worth telling. I thought my life was boring and that nobody wanted to hear what I had to say.
Then I started sharing, especially about my anxiety and depression, and people began to say, "Thank you. I needed to hear that. I thought it was just me."
That's what everyday stories can do. They tell the next person that they're not alone.
🎧 Listen to Episode 1 of Dandelion Tales: www.dandeliontalespodcast.com
💬 What story do you think the world needs to hear? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
Dandelion Tales is brought to you by Change the Script™: changing internal stories for a better future.
