Please welcome to "The Clearing" for a lovely-jubbly double episode of The Good Listening To Podcast, Natural Storyteller, Creative ‘Puck-Like’ Sprite, Wellbeing and Resilience Blogger and all round HappyPants Anneliese Paul!
MORE ABOUT ANNELIESE:
As a Creative Project Co-ordinator and Well-being Coach, Anniliese Paul exudes joie de vivre.
At 16 she said she wanted to act and was told there was no money in it. At 26, Anneliese was a Business Manager in the Sanctuary spa in Covent Garden. By 28, she and her partner and their beautiful new surprise-baby had moved to Bristol to ‘live on lentils’ as Anneliese now puts it. Money may have been in short supply but there was an abundance of optimism.
At 12, Anneliese had had a near death experience where failure to recognise appendicitis when the opportunity was given, had led to an emergency operation for peritonitis. Anneliese still has a scar to remind her that life is fragile and that time spent with loved ones is priceless.
Over 10 years later, Anneliese dealt with her justifiable teenage resentment about being blocked from acting by signing up for evening and weekend drama classes at the Bristol Old Vic. This was designed as a two year course but by the time she had completed it, Anneliese found herself pregnant again. Nevertheless a third year of evening and weekend classes became available and Anneliese jumped at the opportunity to remain a drama student. Even though her desire to spend maximum time with her children has denied Anneliese a realistic career as an actor, she is in no doubt about the benefits of her studies. “Everyone should learn drama” she proclaims with enthusiasm.
Anneliese teaches people to write and tell stories. Curiosity and creativity work together in harmony. She talks about three concentric circles. In the outer circle are all the stories people are willing to share with anyone, post on Facebook or offer as PR versions of the truth at cocktail parties. The next circle in is reserved exclusively for close personal friends and people you trust completely. The centre circle contains the stories you hope no one will ever hear. Never, ever. That circle is dark and deep. Anneliese’s near death experience is true and has a happy ending so it sits comfortably in the outer circle. The fact that her father was a bipolar alcoholic with suicidal thoughts who was sectioned for his own good is certainly in the inner circle and elements of it may even cross into the central darkness. Who knows? Anneliese is not going to volunteer the information. “You know me and you don’t know me” she chooses as her favourite quote.
Now Anneliese is involved in exploring links between Play-Creativity-Well-being at the University of the West of England. At a less academic level, Anneliese shares her personal insights in self-care in her biweekly newsletter Well-being Wednesday.
This whole episode really is a joy t
Tune in next week for more stories of 'Distinction & Genius' from The Good Listening To Show 'Clearing'. If you would like to be my Guest too then you can find out HOW via the different 'series strands' at 'The Good Listening To Show' website.
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW wherever you get your Podcasts :)
Thanks for listening!