my story
Laura Wesley
She/they
I live on unceded Algonquin Territory near Ottawa, Ontario. I hold an undergraduate degree in Psychology (uOttawa), a Master's Degree in Human Systems Intervention (Concordia) and a coaching certificate. A continuous learner, I'm now working towards a Graduate Certificate in Narrative Psychology (Pacifica College).
My work with individuals, teams, and communities focuses on designing products, campaigns, and experiences that foster deep connection, centre learning and growth, and build stronger, more inclusive, communities.
In my home life, I am an aspiring permaculturist and a lover of the land and beings with whom I share it.
conversations
The moment was ripe for an intimate and exploratory conversation. It was a year after I resigned from my career in corporate communications, and it would be another year before I would have a clear'ish idea about what I wanted to do with the next phase of my life.
Sarah made something that seemed impossible to discuss feel easy with her curiousity and thought-provoking questions. This convo showcases her skillful coaching and her ability to craft a narrative arc that took us, and listeners, on a journey of discovery.
My creations
Haunted Hills Hallowe’en Story Hour
I saw an ad on Theatre Wakefield's Facebook page looking for writers and performers for the annual Haunted Hills Hallowe’en Story Hour. I was never one for scary stories but I had braved to be in the audience the previous year and absolutely loved it! The production struck the balance of creativity with a touch of chilled anticipation that even children could enjoy. Having spent the past two years facing my real fears, I was compelled by the challenge of creating one to entertain others.
Drawing on themes from nature and my childhood growing up around my grandfather's farm, I drafted a story about Charlie and their dog Shreddies whose uncle passed away leaving them the old family homestead. Drawing on the fantasy genre, the element of water called out to Charlie from beyond this world, or was it the ghost of Charlie's dead uncle?
I read it aloud to my gamer/film-maker boyfriend. Barely looking up from his game, he said, "Good enough for a first draft. Keep going." That was just enough encouragement to alight the fire. Version after version took shape until it was time to submit it to the producer. Apparently they also thought it was good enough. Weeks later I sat in the audience watching my words performed alongside other storytellers from my community. That was probably the scariest part!
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WORK/play
After resigning from a career in corporate communications, I was keen to experiment with using my skills towards more artistic ends. I jumped on an opportunity to learn a new form of writing called verbatim theatre from established Canadian playwrights Joel Bernbaum and Yvette Nolan.
I was one of six local artists chosen to move forward in the process. We each interviewed people about a social issue to create a 10 minute script from the conversations. These scripts were read by actors from Theatre Wakefield in front of a sold-out audience on May 15, 2023 at the Centre Wakefield La Pêche.
Still reeling from the impacts of a toxic work environment, I was curious about what other shapes "work" might take for me in the future. I chose work as the topic and named it WORK/play. I sought interviews with strangers who lived around me, hoping that I might find new perspectives. Although the play itself was only so-so, I learned so much from talking to each person, some of whom became friends I still hold dear.
Verbatim theatre is like collage with words. In the end, the way I compiled these words told a version of my own story, which showed me that I still needed an outlet to use my own voice. It also re-iterated that the storyteller has the power to choose what voices are included or excluded, a theme that influenced my desire to help people tell their own stories, while I continued to explore what that might look like for me.
nerdy past lives
I used to speak at conferences about public sector innovation. I still believe that open source, collaborative governance, and design practices are useful, maybe even foundational, but at that time I underestimated the role that power dynamics and organizing structures have on real change. Would I call these projects transformative now? Not likely. But they did lead me to a deeper understanding of what it takes to create the conditions for transformative change.