“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark”.- Kate DiCamillo
Why I Write Stories
Although I’ve spent over 20 years writing professionally — from success stories and donor reports to press releases and project proposals — my most transformative writing didn’t begin in the workplace.
It began quietly, during moments of anxiety, grief, and uncertainty. One day, in the middle of a panic attack, I opened my notebook and started writing. A story about my life.
And something shifted. By writing about my experiences and raw emotions, I began to regain control over them.
The act of shaping experience into a story gave meaning to pain.
And over time, storytelling became something more than communication.
It became a connection. Meaning. Medicine.
That moment of writing, of release, of returning to my voice, made me wonder: what if stories could do more than heal just one person?
So, I began researching how stories have been used across history to heal, unite, and transform.
And I started to imagine how we could use storytelling for personal growth and social change.
In a world overwhelmed with bad news and disconnection, I believe that stories are still a powerful antidote. They don’t shout. They don’t ask you to pick a side.
They offer a window. A feeling. A perspective.
A story lets you feel something real, someone else’s confusion, happiness, tenderness, fear, or hope.
And in that moment, something softens.
That’s empathy.
And empathy, not opinion, is what changes people.
Stories help us remember what’s possible.
They help us return to truth, to feeling, to each other.