What is Storywork?
At its essence, Storywork is a creative response to the longing many of us feel—the intuitive sense that something new wants to emerge on Earth, that fresh stories and possibilities are calling to be imagined and embodied.
Storywork, as we practice it it here in Storywork Studio was imagined by artist, writer, archetypist, and entrepreneur, Daje Aloh. Learn more about her here.
When we engage in Storywork, we begin by looking inward. We start at the subconscious level, where our deepest beliefs and hidden narratives reside, often unnoticed yet profoundly shaping our lives and decisions. It is here, in this deeper terrain, that we begin crafting new mythologies for ourselves and for the world.
Storywork is the courageous act of grieving old stories that no longer serve us and imagining something beyond what we have known is possible. By doing this inner and collective work, new realities—personal and communal—can begin to emerge.
The Foundations of Storywork
Storywork is built on a rich, regenerative epistemology—a way of knowing that honors relationship, complexity, and ecological wisdom. It draws inspiration and depth from a diverse and interconnected set of philosophies and traditions:
Regenerative Philosophy, as articulated by Carol Sanford, which teaches us how to create and engage systems that truly give life back to the world.
Solarpunk Philosophy, a practice of visionary imagination, weaving hopeful, grounded futures amidst ecological and social collapse.
Metamodernism, a way of holding the paradoxes, contradictions, and complexities of our era without needing immediate resolution.
Eco-depth Psychology, particularly as brought forward by Bill Plotkin and the School of Lost Borders, guiding us to explore the wild terrains of psyche, soul, and earth.
Rites of Passage, offering an understanding that our personal and collective evolution happens in developmental thresholds—inviting us to consciously mature our psyches beyond the adolescent patterns of our dominant culture.
Mythopoetic Approaches, as explored by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés and Laurence Hillman, highlighting the transformative power of myth, poetry, and archetypal imagery to rewrite the foundational narratives we live by.
Black Feminist Philosophy, grounded in the wisdom and visionary leadership of Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, bell hooks, Leah Penniman, adrienne maree brown, and speculative futurists such as Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin. This lineage teaches us to weave intersectionality, justice, and embodied liberation into every story we tell, envisioning speculative futures that help us navigate and reshape our present realities.
Earth-Based Spirituality, Animist Praxis, and Kinship Worldview, as learned through teachers like Maryam Hasnaa and her New Earth Mystery School and Etheric Gardening Apprenticeship which trains highly sensitive intuitives in the practical arts of seership, psychic responsibility, and energetic hygiene. Animism teaches us that the Earth is alive, relational, and responsive, inviting us into kinship with the more-than-human world as active participants in co-creating a story that honors all life forms.Storywork as an Embodied Practice
More than intellectual theory, Storywork is meant to be deeply embodied. It recognizes that our stories live not just in our minds, but in our bodies, hearts, and nervous systems. These stories shape our daily lives, influencing our relationships, our creative endeavors, and our businesses.
When we intentionally rewrite these embodied stories, we reclaim the power to create something genuinely new. Instead of passively inheriting outdated narratives, we step into active participation with the emerging story of our lives and our communities.
Storywork Studio: Cultivating New Realities
At Storywork Studio, this is the work we bring forward—complex, alive, and inherently creative. We see Storywork as a living practice, a schema, a pattern that connects personal healing, collective evolution, cultural renewal, and regenerative enterprise.
By engaging in Storywork, we don't just imagine new stories, we craft them as well. We create new realities. We cultivate worlds that reflect our deepest values, our interconnectedness with each other, and the living earth itself.
