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Rabat – Stories are an essential part of human experience; they help us make sense of the world surrounding us, as well as understand our culture and history. Perhaps most importantly, the stories we tell ourselves help us make sense of who we are.
Juliana Marin Fryling, a professional traveling storyteller, has taken on the mission of exploring the world’s various storytelling traditions. As she travels, she spreads stories like seeds to heal the world.
Juliana will be present at the upcoming Marrakech International Storytelling Festival, which will bring together 80 storytellers from every continent in Morocco’s Red City, Marrakech, between February 12 and 19.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), the storyteller discussed her motivation for becoming a storyteller, her most memorable performances, the symbolism of her traveling storybag, and the value of storytelling.
Juliana attended the inaugural Marrakech storytelling festival, which she described as a “magical and life changing experience which brought together wonderful people.”
“The storytellers are being hosted in riads and treated like kings, in the lavish, generous nature of Moroccan hospitality,” she said.
Juliana stressed that Moroccan hospitality has inspired her to become more welcoming and hospitable in her own life.
While at the inaugural Marrakech festival, the storyteller came to the realization that beyond the performances in the cafes, workshops, schools and the storytelling in the square, this festival is about the pure joy of telling stories, making friends, and living magical adventures.
Growing up in Colombia
Juliana grew up in Colombia, which she describes as a “land where stories are still alive and you kind of have to believe in magic.”
Juliana had always enjoyed stories but had no idea that she could become a storyteller herself until she discovered the Vivapalabra Storytelling School in Medellin. After her graduation, she traveled to many countries to learn about storytelling in other cultures.
Juliana’s money was stolen at the start of her trip, so she had to pay her way by telling stories on the street. “Since then I’ve been ‘Achira Stories,’ a traveling storyteller from Colombia,” she said.
“Right now I’m on my longest trip yet—I’ve been traveling for a year, and plan to keep going all the way around the world,” she added.
The Colombian storyteller has traveled extensively and has come across various ideas and styles of storytelling, but believes there is no “right” or “wrong” way to tell stories as it all depends on what the listener needs to hear and how they want to hear it.
Comparing the different storytelling styles in the world, Juliana noted that people in Morocco like stories with humor and a moral while people in Colombia hate morality tales and prefer to hear thought-provoking tales.
She also remarked that in Colombia, storytelling is very theatrical: “If a teller narrates calmly, sitting down, everyone will think they are boring.”But in Europe, Juliana has seen audiences tell energetic storytellers to “cut the drama.”
Juliana carries a colorful woven bag when telling stories; she explained that [the bag] is traditional from the Wayu indigenous people of Colombia’s northern desert.
The bag contains small pieces of colorful paper with story titles written on them. Each color represents a different category, and the audience selects the type of story they want to hear from the bag.
Storytelling as a Healing Tool
Stories have a powerful impact on people’s lives and the entire world. Sharing our stories with others not only helps us to connect with them, but it also helps us and the people we’re sharing our stories with heal.
For Juliana, storytelling can help us make sense of the world around us and the world inside us.
“We are made of the stories that we believe. And stories are all that will be left of us when we are gone. They are seeds. So we have to be so careful to plant good ones,” she explained.
When Juliana feels sad or has a problem, she uses stories as a “roadmap.” She asks herself what story she needs to hear, and frequently, as if by magic, the ideal story appears in her head.
Stories have tremendous transformative power Juliana argued, stressing: “Stories healed me from a very dark time in my life.”
