Do people with dyslexia make the best storytellers?
There are many strengths which come with dyslexia. One of the more common strengths is our ability to effectively communicate and our typical way of doing that is through the medium of storytelling.
Storytelling might come in the form of explaining complex concepts at work, or in the form of telling a joke to friends.
Many people with dyslexia take storytelling to the next level by applying it to writing a book. There are many famous dyslexic authors such as Agatha Christie and WB Yeats. Today we can ad our guest Kirsty Heap to the list!
In this episode, Matthew Head welcomes back Kirsty Heap, who shares her journey from HR professional to dyslexia coach and now children’s book author.
Kirsty discusses the challenges of balancing her growing business with family life, her experiences in coaching, and the inspiration behind her upcoming children’s book, ‘Silent Snow’.
Kirsty emphasises the importance of creativity in storytelling and aims to create a stress-free reading experience for parents and children, particularly those with dyslexia.
In this conversation, Kirsty Heap discusses her journey of creating a children’s book titled ‘Silent Snow’, focusing on the storytelling process through illustrations. She shares insights on how to build narratives from images, the challenges of publishing, and the importance of embracing creativity and vulnerability. Kirsty also highlights her strategies for promoting the book and her plans for future projects, emphasising the significance of collaboration and support in her creative endeavors.
In a world where children have more access that ever before to media such as YouTube, Netflix, Disney and social media, the importance of imagination and storytelling for young children is greater now more than ever before. Imagination and storytelling within young children can build bonds and relationships as well as develop new neurotransmitters in the brain demonstrating that storytelling and use of their imagination helps to build happy and healthy brains.
Dyslexic Strength:
- Story Telling
Key Topics:
- Kirsty Heap has transitioned from HR to dyslexia coaching.
- She is writing a children’s book to help with reading challenges.
- Balancing work and family is a continuous challenge for her.
- Kirsty emphasises the importance of organic growth in her business.
- She passed her coaching qualification exam on the first attempt.
- Coaching neurodiverse individuals requires a different approach.
- Kirsty uses storytelling to address real-life issues faced by children.
- Her children’s book aims to empower both parents and children.
- Illustrations in her book are detailed and carefully planned.
- Kirsty believes in nurturing creativity from a young age. The storyteller has the freedom to interpret illustrations in various ways.
- Kirsty can create extended narratives from a limited number of images.
- The book aims to have international appeal due to its lack of text.
- Incorporating unique elements in illustrations can spark curiosity in children.
- Self-publishing was chosen after facing multiple rejections from traditional publishers.
- Kirsty found support from a publisher who understood her vision.
- The creative process flourished after leaving a corporate job.
- Embracing vulnerability is essential when sharing creative work.
- Testing the book’s concept with neurodivergent individuals provided reassurance.
- Promoting the book involves leveraging personal connections and professional help.
Selected Links
- Order Silent Snow
Chapters –
00:00 Introduction to Kirsty Heap’s Journey
02:56 Balancing Business and Family Life
05:33 Coaching Experience and Challenges
10:40 The Birth of a Children’s Book
19:04 Creating a Unique Storytelling Experience
22:24 The Art of Storytelling Through Illustrations
25:39 Creating a Narrative from Images
29:46 The Journey to Publication
34:26 Embracing Creativity and Vulnerability
39:51 Promoting the Book and Future Plans
