How We Are All Stories Made Me Feel Seen, Heard, and Valued

Reflections from WAAS 2026 Featured Storyteller, Dr. Patlee Creary

“I want to invite you into a clearing. A space away from the noise of should and worries. Let’s start here with Silence.”

Those were the first words I uttered as I took my place in the center of the Roundhouse Auditorium at the Manitou a bi Bii daziigae on Saturday, June 6, 2026. 

I had been rehearsing those words for months. They were the invitation—the calling in of the audience to get ready to truly listen, to reflect, and to build a new story with me.

A hush crept through the room as I said the word Silence, and then there was a shift; every stanza in the poem was felt and breathed by the audience. Throughout the program, they laughed with me, pondered deep questions alongside me, and cried the tears I had long ago shed over experiences I now hold as significant life lessons.

An Intimate Circle of Diverse Voices

“A very meaningful performance. Welcoming atmosphere. Intimate.” — WAAS 2026 Attendee

We Are All Stories (WAAS) was designed to be something truly special. Since its inception, we have valued it as a sacred place where diverse voices and lived experiences take center stage, allowing storytellers to share creative and performative takes on what it feels like to be… well, them.

True, there are many platforms that provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to share stories about what they have been through, what they recall, or how they see the world. What makes We Are All Stories fundamentally different is that we celebrate the stories and the storytellers who are rarely heard. These are individuals who seldom get the chance to speak in public forums, let alone find the time to deeply reflect on their experiences, the strengths they hold, and the immense value they bring to our communities.

In keeping with The StoryBridge Network's core mission, WAAS is designed to empower marginalized and isolated individuals by helping them identify their inner strengths and multiple points of human connection through the art of narrative. Through thoughtful, trauma-sensitive, and trauma-responsive facilitation and story-crafting practices, we guide people to uncover the stories they wish to share. We teach them how to structure those stories, and we support them with tailored performance and public speaking coaching so they can feel completely confident sharing their lived experience with whomever they choose.

The motivation behind this is simple. Like many of the programs at The StoryBridge Network, we utilize a deliberate theory of change to move our audience and participants toward a vital outcome: a more connected, inclusive, and compassionate community where everyone feels a profound sense of belonging. We do not just focus on the mechanics of storytelling; we focus heavily on intentional community building and creating opportunities that make participants feel deeply cared for and valued.

By curating an intimate performance experience, we enable our storytelling audience members to do more than merely absorb the stories being shared from a distance. They are actively pulled into the narrative fabric, transforming individual, vulnerable truths into a shared, collective movement toward empathy, inclusion, and compassion.

Crafting Stories Beneath the Mask

“I loved the storytelling format and the circle arrangement.” — WAAS 2026 Attendee

We Are All Stories was born from the collaborative work that artistic director Rachel E. Smith and I have been doing with newcomer women since 2022. Our first collaboration was The Winnipeg Shoe Project in 2022–2023, followed by Pathways: Stories of How We Got Here in 2024. In those foundational programs, I mentored the participants in identifying and writing their own resilience stories, while Rachel expertly coached them on performance, breath, and delivery. Since then, Rachel and I have continued to integrate our skills on vital projects such as StoryBridge’s Selkirk Newcomer Storytelling Café in 2025.

It takes immense bravery and fortitude to stand in front of a group of family, friends, and total strangers to share a story about how you view a personal memory or the hard-won lessons you choose to draw from it. I have been incredibly fortunate to guide dozens of people through this rigorous creation process over the years. In my workshops, I draw on important academic theories and research about the self, identity, communication patterns, and trauma responses. These frameworks serve as tools and methods for identifying the authentic stories that often sit just below the heavy surface of daily performance and social masking.

Throughout the process, I remain fiercely encouraging, letting participants know that their story deserves to take up physical and emotional space. It is inherently valuable, and it could touch the right person in a way that permanently changes the course of events in their lifetime.

Yet, stepping into WAAS 2026 as a performer meant I had to sit on the other side of the table. I received that exact same encouragement and rigorous support from Rachel during our twice-weekly rehearsal sessions. As much as I was happy to have written and shared my stories and poetry in my previously published book, Rebel. Mother. Queen., standing in front of a live audience and saying those deeply personal words out loud, brought a completely new sense of trepidation.

I loved that our rehearsals always began with an intentional check-in. This practice served me well, especially on the days when my body was physically in the room but my mind and energy were scattered elsewhere. Rachel acutely noted which pieces would be highly emotional for me. She chose to work softly and gently with me on those fragile sections, yet she knew exactly when to push me to be bolder, louder, and to completely fill the space with my voice on the pieces that demanded authority. She also constantly reminded me to be gentle with myself—to turn my empathy and compassion inward, especially on days when I felt I was slipping beneath my depth.

I deeply appreciated Rachel’s theatre-in-the-round vision. It was a bold choice, but absolutely ideal for the stories and the specific way they needed to be told. Instead of a traditional, detached stage that creates a spectacle, the circular setup broke down walls, connecting me directly with the audience and pulling them into the very spirit of the narrative. The Roundhouse Auditorium at Manitou a bi Bii Dazigae provided the perfect backdrop for this. The room's circular architecture mirrored the ancient tradition of gathering in a circle to share wisdom, ensuring that no matter where an audience member sat, they were an equal participant in the evening's energy.

Rachel’s endless patience, combined with the dedicated professionalism of our volunteer stage manager, Steph Adamov, made every single rehearsal an event to genuinely look forward to. Because of the immense care and safety net provided by Rachel and Steph, I felt genuinely empowered to share my stories in my own authentic voice and style. I trusted completely that I could hold that space for connected listening.

Micro, Macro, and Meso: A Multi-Layered Tapestry

“It was very enjoyable. In addition to the story aspect, I enjoyed the drumming and the music.” — WAAS 2026 Attendee

There are many ways to tell stories, and there are many complex parts to the narratives we choose to share with the world. We Are All Stories embraces that multidimensionality. A single, profound truth can be uncovered across multiple short vignettes, genres, and delivery styles.

For WAAS 2026, in addition to the micro-stories shared across the ten distinct selections I offered to the audience, there was a much larger macro-story of artistic collaboration, musicality, and interwoven messages. There was also the vital meso-story of community building and connection, quietly unfolding behind the scenes, which was still deeply felt and understood in the intentional making of the space and the telling of the tales.

WAAS is proudly offered by The StoryBridge Network as a premier community event exploring identity, belonging, and lived experience through storytelling, live music, and dialogue. To bring these layers to life, the Roots in Harmony Choir delivered beautiful vocal arrangements that soulfully complemented the story selections, while master drummer Jonathan Bailey grounded the entire auditorium with the rich, rhythmic heartbeat of African drumming.

Yet, the greatest personal impact for me was the musicians' immediate willingness to strengthen my spoken words through their musical performance. For one of the selections, titled The Second Sunday of May, I made a personal call to the Roots in Harmony Choir director, Mwansa M.

“When I wrote this story,” I told Mwansa, “I had a particular song playing in my head, and every time I read it, that song returns. Would you consider learning this specific arrangement and performing it for us at the event?”

On June 6, the Roots in Harmony Choir delivered their first-ever public rendition of Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry. Even today, I am moved to tears by that song, but I am moved even more by the memory of asking for support, and having this amazing choral group say without hesitation, "We are here to lift you up!"

Similarly, as I rehearsed another story called When Women Build Peace, Rachel and I immediately understood that the arrangement demanded an urgent, rhythmic accompaniment. Rachel put in a local request to her neighbour, Jonathan Bailey, a holistic HeArtist and Sound Practitioner. He stepped in with his drum, providing incredible energy, timing, and amazing dramatic support that elevated the spoken word into a visceral experience.

My intention to contribute these stories exactly as I had envisioned them was fully heard, respected, and supported by a very talented artistic director, as well as by committed friends and community members who selflessly shared their time and talent in support of inclusion, community building, and me.

Roots in Harmony Choir's soulful blend of choral sounds resonated in the RRC Polytech Roundhouse Auditorium.

A Community of Support: Celebrating Our Partners

“I liked the venue; it was a new space and set up, and very fitting for an event. I thought the guests and the program were well thought out and relevant.” — WAAS 2026 Attendee

An intentional evening like We Are All Stories does not happen in a vacuum. It requires a village of passionate partners and sponsors who believe that storytelling is a vital pillar of a healthy society.

First and foremost, our venue sponsor, RRC Polytech, generously provided the stunning Manitou a bi Bii Dazigae campus. Hosting the event in the Roundhouse Auditorium allowed us to achieve the exact intimacy and innovative physical layout our performance required.

We were also incredibly proud to partner with WeMB (Women's Enterprise Centre of Manitoba), which stepped up to sponsor community tickets. Because of their generosity, these tickets went directly into the hands of both established and aspiring women entrepreneurs, ensuring our audience was filled with visionaries who understand the power of rewriting their own narratives.

Our interactive community features were made possible through fantastic local sponsorships. Manitoba Blue Cross generously sponsored a highly anticipated silent auction prize—an exclusive Winnipeg Goldeyes Suite package—which added excitement and vital fundraising to the evening. Additionally, Reyou Mindfulness Collective sponsored a second incredible silent-auction prize: a peaceful weekend stay in a cabin at the Light of the Prairies Retreat Centre, aligning perfectly with our theme of finding a quiet "clearing" away from life's noise.

To ensure our guests left with tangible memories, Glam Cam Winnipeg provided wonderful event souvenirs with an interactive photo booth that kept spirits high, while Photography by Gift, our official event photographer, beautifully captured the raw emotion, laughter, and connection of the afternoon. Each of these unique contributions was instrumental in transforming a performance into a smashing success.

Fun Photos from Glam Cam Winnipeg's Digital Photobooth

Looking Ahead: Building the Path for WAAS 2027

To our tireless volunteers, our dedicated board members, our visionary sponsors, our community partners, our brilliant musical artists, our director, and especially you—our vulnerable, open-hearted audience: thank you. You did not just sit in chairs; you held the space with us.

It is with great joy that we share that the money raised from the WAAS 2026 silent auction and ticket sales will go directly toward funding a dedicated storytelling residency for a new cohort of voices at WAAS 2027. Recruitment for this transformative program will officially begin this coming fall.

On June 6, I did not just feel empowered to enter the circle and share my words. I felt wholly seen, heard, valued, and lifted up by a community that truly believes in the transformative, healing power of storytelling.

I invite you to stay in this clearing with us at The StoryBridge Network. Keep an eye out for our upcoming WAAS 2027 announcements. Subscribe to The StoryBridge Network newsletter, make a donation to support WAAS 2027, and consider how your own story might take up space in the circle next year. After all, we are all stories, waiting to be told.

---

About the Author

Dr. Patlee Creary is a community engagement strategist, facilitator, and social entrepreneur whose work focuses on storytelling, dialogue, and culturally responsive community engagement. She serves as the Executive Director of The StoryBridge Network, where she leads programs that amplify marginalized voices and create spaces for meaningful community dialogue through storytelling and expressive arts.

Patlee is also the founder of Reyou Mindfulness Collective, a social enterprise that supports individuals and organizations through mindfulness-based learning, reflective writing, and resilience-building practices.

Holding a doctorate in Peace and Conflict Studies, Patlee brings a trauma-informed and culturally grounded approach to consultation and facilitation. Her work helps organizations design community engagement processes that go beyond traditional meetings and events, creating structured dialogue in which lived experience can inform programs, policies, and social change.