Expressionstorytelling

Expressionstorytelling is a practice that combines narrative storytelling with expressive techniques to foreground subjective emotion and embodied experience. It treats personal feeling as a source of meaning within a story, seeking to translate interior states into accessible, transmittable narrative form. The term describes a set of methods rather than a fixed genre.

Practitioners use first-person voice, symbolic imagery, sensory detail, and sometimes non-linear or fragmentary structures to convey inner states. The approach often blends oral storytelling, written text, performance, and multimedia elements such as sound, image, or gesture. It emphasizes authenticity and vulnerability, inviting both creators and audiences to engage with affective content without erasing complexity.

Expressionstorytelling appears in several contexts, including arts education, narrative medicine and psychotherapy, community storytelling projects, and digital media production. It can help individuals articulate distress, resilience, or identity, and can foster empathy and social connection by sharing intimate experiences in a structured narrative frame. It is typically facilitated by an instructor or moderator to ensure safety and accessibility.

Common methods include reflective journaling adapted into stories, story circles, personal myth creation, audio or video journaling, and collaborative storytelling. Facilitators may incorporate movement, music, or visual art to expand expression. Audience involvement and feedback are often integral, with attention to consent and cultural sensitivity.

Ethical and practical considerations include ensuring informed consent, avoiding retraumatization, respecting cultural contexts, and acknowledging power dynamics in storytelling settings. As a relatively new or niche term, the evidence base varies by field and practice.

See also: expressionism; storytelling; narrative medicine; arts therapy; digital storytelling; performance art.