About Kate Lawrence
I spent over 20 years communicating as a lawyer, writing like the Wizard of Oz, as if there was no-one behind the paper screen. It has taken me a long time to deconstruct my communication style, to be able to speak like… me.
I needed to nurture my imagination, become a student of story, get over a tiny, repetitive and powerful voice saying ‘You can’t do that’, let go of the printed page, and really make sense of who I am, what I have experienced and what I believe.
For last ten years I've been studying and practising, telling and teaching stories. I've found, crafted, practiced and shared stories, over and over and over again. I’ve listened, I’ve coached and I’ve taught countless people to love and think and tell story. I’ve created safe space and hosted, I’ve won the Moth story slam twice and given a TEDx talk once. I’ve felt the embodied impact of story as we sit in circle and share or when we listen and feel moved. I’ve listened and recorded, stitched the audio and published. It is my passion and tool of choice to change the world.
“Kate’s presentation was masterful, intriguing and pitch perfect for our audience. The story that Kate put together was intriguing and showed just how much work and care she put into crafting it. It was a great collaborative process to work with Kate and we’d love to have her again.”
“Thank you for the workshop Kate. It was so special - I was really quite affected by it in a positive way. You share your craft with openness and respect. You have opened up a whole new world for me.”
“Loved the Storytelling workshop and enjoyed listening to the replay of my story. I may even be bold enough to pick a story and perform it later this year. I’m so glad that I attended your workshop last Saturday. The start of something new! Exciting!”
“I enjoyed the workshop, Kate. That was my first experience with storytelling. I knew nothing about it before and the workshop could have gone longer from my standpoint. It was a good balance between theory and practice and small enough to give us all a go. I’ll certainly get more experience when I can. ”
“Story On Purpose offers strategies for finding the nuggets in our lives that can be transformed into stories. the workshop was full of new and exciting ways to think about shaping personal stories.”
“Thank you so much for such a supportive and easeful introduction to the art of storytelling. I was intrigued, and surprised, to see the way each story emerged and developed as it was polished some more. Seeing this animated aspect of myself come out and delight in sharing the story was amazing to me. ”
“If your wondering whether you tell a good yarn and, like me, suspect you don’t...take the plunge and do this workshop! I learnt tricks and tips to identify experiences in my life that might make a good topic and then found out how best to tease them into a well crafted tale. There were also pointers on the structure of a gripping story that I had long mused about. Loads of food for thought and practice.
All of this was fostered in a safe environment, shared with other fledgling storytellers and expertly managed and led by Kate.
What a privilege. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from one of the best.”
“The flowers were just a small gesture to say thank-you for bringing story telling to Woodend.
I really look forward to the first Friday of each month.
The atmosphere in the room is always so welcoming and provides warmth as people share their stories.
It’s wonderful to then go home and reflect on the stories and have a second and subsequent laugh.
Thank you again. Story Wise Woodend has made a lasting impression on me.”
“Kate has an extraordinary ability to guide each storyteller and the audience to recognise structure, meaning and feeling from each story. Pointing out what is unique why something worked or picking out highlights some might have missed…..
Kate has created a space an opportunity for our community to share from our past to build a better community from sharing our stories”
“Kate’s story webinar has been very helpful in refining my presenting skills and public speaking. As a Yoga teacher and facilitator I share stories on a daily basis.
Story telling is a beautiful art and whilst it is easy to assume that we can automatically do it, Kate ’s webinar breaks it down so that we can more effectively connect and convey our experiences to others. Kate was very supportive and gave excellent feedback which really helped me understand how to craft a story that has substance, direction and humour. Finding my voice through storytelling and being heard has been a deeply satisfying experience. Thank you Kate”
“The storytelling webinar with Kate was a delight - spacious and focused at the same time. I feel like my understanding of the art of storytelling has grown exponentially and I look forward to exploring and crafting many more of my stories.”
“Kate was a guest story-teller at the launch of the Vocal Ranges Festival 2016. This is a new, annual event in Kyneton, Central Victoria, that celebrates the vocal arts through participation and performance.
Kate’s stories were adventures into funny and poignant experiences, and accessible to all. Kate also spoke about the magic and power of a story experienced as a shared imagination. Above all, Kate’s passion for storytelling and its role in culture was an inspiring addition to the festival launch, and we hope that she can share her skills for our audiences next year!”
“Thank you for your feedback today. It was very helpful and just what I needed to hear. Your acute listening skills allow you to access just what is needed to create a “sharp” story.”
