“The shortest distance between people is a story.”
– Anon
Unravelling Threads – Spinning Yarns – Co-creating Community
Each of us are stories-unfolding, individual threads in an infinite and timeless tapestry. Each piece is integral and necessary to the whole; and by sharing our stories, our wisdom, our passion and our dreams, we move toward wholeness together.
Whatever your pathway of connection—whether you are a writer, an artist, a musician, a teacher, a dancer, a lover, a parent, a grandparent, a friend or a child—you hold a unique thread that is woven into the wholeness of being.
Through a mythopoetic lens, we find and honor the archetypal elements and patterns in our lived experience.
By telling and honouring our stories, we emerge as individuals and merge into community. Together we belong.
Woven Words
Stories are like seeds, and as story weavers, we plant them in each others’ hearts, but we cannot control how and where they will grow. The beauty of a well-told story lies in its spaciousness. May you find amongst my story seeds, inspiration to sow and grow your own. […]
Offerings
I run writing circles and storytelling journeys that support imaginal inquiry and intimate encounters within, with each other, and with the sacred. These are safe spaces to discover your innermost stories, both written and spoken.[…]
Nicola-Jane le Breton is a story weaver and sustainable community facilitator with a passion for the power of story to awaken, connect and deepen our relationships with each other and with the natural world […]
Private Writing Student:
“I loved Nicola’s one-on-one sessions and drew a huge amount of inspiration from them. They gave me new perspectives on looking at my work and process. Being able to reflect upon my artistic ideas and methods through creative writing, guided by a professional writer, was a unique experience for me and very rewarding. Nicola’s workshops helped me prepare catalogue text for my solo exhibition, Trapped, in 2015. I highly recommend any artist to attend one of Nicola’s workshops or to work with her individually.”
Writing Workshop Participant:
“Your passion for writing is evident in your teaching style. You are sharing with us a great joy. Your style says, ‘Come play with me.’ Never dry or stuffy or dictatorial, but inspirational and encouraging…The anonymous readings of longer pieces were an essential element. I feel that hearing another’s writing somehow validates the process; and there is something powerful at play in the sharing—emphasising our uniqueness in our stories, but also recognizing our common humanity.”
Storytelling Workshop Participant:
“You have a great gift for facilitating, Nicola. The care and compassion you have for your participants is clear. I really appreciated your gentle, patient, persistent coaching of all our expressions of ourselves. It was a very safe and comfortable environment, and to do what I have been trained out of for 35 years was a bit scary.”
Writing Workshop Participant:
“I have been actively involved in Nicola’s community writing classes and training programmes for the last seven years. …Each group is made to feel safe as regards confidentiality, and…Nicola makes everyone feel comfortable with their own abilities. She listens to, guides and challenges people most capably… She invites and excites a group to go deeper as she sees the processes relating to her topic maturing and developing. I have seen her work in all kinds of situations and with all sorts of people… Change is welcome with Nicola. She understands group processes extremely well and meets individual needs with ease and respect… I have found it a delight to be part of the invitation to the possibilities inherent in her rich sense of creative community.”
Collaborator:
“I feel that any project dreamt up or supported by Nicola has a special magical and ‘anything is possible’ aura, which she brings to it. …Our current storytelling collaboration, The Spindle of Spoken Story, was sparked by Nicola, and she continues to be the dynamic and enthusiastic driver of this project. A participant in the project herself, Nicola shines with an innate talent for keeping her audience enthralled with her lyrical storytelling. Thanks to her dedication, we have had storytelling workshops and experiences led by local indigenous elders as well as visiting storytellers from Canada, Sydney and Perth as part of our project.”
“…the only way a community can heal itself is to draw out the story coming through every individual.”
– Toko-pa Turner