Center for Digitalstorytelling, Berkeley

I am still waiting on the review board approval from SDSU for my project, which gives me time to work on my "intervention" piece of my project. I went to the Center for Digital Storytelling in Berkeley, CA where I had a life changing experience creating my piece and being with 11 others from around the world who were there to create their special piece as well.

This is Joe Lambert founder of the Center for Digital Storytelling picking his nose! He'd be OK with that, he's that kind of a guy. He's incredible really. He really set the stage for our group to do some amazing work. He and his colleague Rob Kershaw mentored us through the whole "PROcess" (that's Canadian for process)....Rob is Canadian and PROnounced things way different, so did the guys from New Zealand, the Minnesotan, and gal form Madison....loved it! We were all so different, there for different reasons, and had varying stories, yet we were able to bond so quickly because each of our stories had to do with connections...I could go on and on about that thought, but I'll spare you. I will say that I have never felt more accepted and nurtured during a creative PROcess than at the Center for Digital Storytelling. (After writing professional nursing pieces for three years with very technical writing it was refreshing to write what I wanted to write, not what fit the formula for an "A" paper.)

Masses of technology made this PROcess happen...all without a glitch! When does that happen when you are working with technology? These guys know what they are doing!

I think I may want one of these in the future.

Here I am...after three days of work, I am finished (aka worn out, spent....and completed the project), I've exported and I am ready to watch my 11 fellow cohort's creations... I went through a whole box of tissues.

My camera takes horrible indoor pictures, but I took them anyways because I wanted to remember. I wanted to remember other things about Berkeley as well, but would have stuck out like a sore thumb if I would have pulled out my camera.

What I did not capture:

The man in a blue bathrobe pushing an empty baby stroller across the street.

The chain smoking homeless gentleman who would pose for pictures for food.

The other set of homeless men passing a joint between them while holding a sign that read "Hope you do well on your midterms, God bless"

The protesting UC Berkeley students....protesting tuition hikes...I almost joined them, my tuition has doubled in the time I have joined grad school.

The beautiful old Victorian buildings...full of charm

Every morsel I ate...the food was INCREDIBLE!