The real origin story was because like… small talk… can seriously stuff it. Jessica’s awkward bypass? (Speaking in the third person?) Asking everyone: “What’s your story?” Like the moments that shaped you. Tell it like it is.
Story Story Night is a brainchild (circa 2010) of Jessica Holmes. She’s the co-founder & OG host & driving force of this wildly-popular live storytelling program that’s impacted and inspired tens of 1000s of souls throughout Boise and beyond. Now over a decade in action, she continues to consult, copy-write, teach Studios for the on-fire program.
For nearly 7 years, she forged a way for electric, cathartic storytelling in Idaho. Told live. Without notes. She dreamed up, programmed, and hosted themed monthly live storytelling shows before audiences of 100s.
She was also the catalyst for the creation of *clears throat*… The Story Story Studio—the education arm of the program. Story Story Late-Night—the adults-only black sheep of the storytelling family. Starry Story Night—featuring bright lights in the community. The Story Story podcast. Plus wrote and executed all marketing. Then spearheaded behind-the-scenes efforts (with a killer team and board) that eventually led Story Story Night to nonprofit status. *slow claps*
She told dozens of her own stories on the way. And helped shape the arch of 100s of other people’s everyday life epics.
The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation awarded Story Story Night with a surprise SEED grant (circa 2014)—one of only a handful of groundbreaking arts groups in under-recognized communities across the nation to receive the honor (and the yearly infusion of $10,000). This all led Jessica to the famous artist’s tropical compound in Captiva Island (but that’s another story).