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Today, I bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Sparkle Stories. In their words...
"Sparkle is an online resource for high-quality audio stories for children and families. Each week Sparkle Stories delivers original audio stories to subscribers around the world. Our stories inspire a sense of wonder in the world, nurture the imagination, and even offer a spark of healing and support, while still being completely delightful and entertaining."
"You can follow along with Sparkle Stories on The Sparkle blog where we blog about parenting, storytelling, education and inspiration."
SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?
Lisabeth: Our idea for Sparkle came in a flash of inspiration right here on SouleMama one night. (Really!) You had put out a call for suggestions for quality children's audio. In the comments that followed, there just didn't seem to be a wealth of amazing options. It's tricky when you're a media-cautious parent -- say you're screen-free or mostly media-free -- and you're not sure what you can trust of what's "out there." But, like so many, I wanted to find something for my boys that I could trust to be both nourishing and entertaining -- so I could enjoy a moment's quiet while they were totally engaged.
And I had a spark: DAVID and I COULD CREATE THE VERY THING WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR. David is a Waldorf teacher and an incredibly gifted storyteller who can spin-a-yarn at a moment's notice. And his stories are the sort that can bring a crowd of children and adults to a rapt, awestruck stillness. I suddenly saw his gift as a resource that could be tapped to create a small business. And then I took stock of my own skills: my training as a playwright, and my love of production and management. And I realized it could be a perfect collaboration. So we mapped out Sparkle, and launched about 7 months later, in December 2010.
SouleMama: Where do all the stories come from?
Lisabeth: So many different things! Moments in our day-to day-lives with our boys, the challenges we meet in our own family life, delightful scraps of stories we find here and there in the world, and also the great canon of classic tales and great children's literature from around the world! Those can't help but inspire what we do.
Inspiration also grows from questions that come up in our community, as well as from our subscribers. Now subscribers email and ask for a story about a certain theme or challenge, or they simply tell us a story from their own home , and that has inspired many stories in the last year.
David uses a process he calls Intuitive Storytelling, where he starts with an idea, and then uses specific tools to open to the flow of inspiration. For example, we play a story game where our boys give David a few words-- say "a mouse, a traveling circus, and a missing ring" -- and then he'll weave an incredible story by being attentive to what pulls him in the story. Intuitive Storytelling is something he teaches now in schools and workshops, and believes everyone can access.
SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.
Lisabeth: Sparkle subscribers come from all over the world: England, France, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. In a recent survey we learned that children as young as 3 and as old as 12 listen to Sparkle, and that in some homes, whole families are making a ritual of sitting down each week to listen together, almost like the radio-days of the 30's, 40's and 50's! Some parents save Sparkle for travel, some children listen in the car on their commutes from school, and some families Sparkle as part of a quiet time during the day. Recently a subscriber from France emailed to tell us how her older daughter loves Sparkle, and how thrilled she is because it's helping her maintain her English! We love hearing about how Sparkle lives in people's homes; it's just such a gift. (We started recording the emails we receive here: www.sparklestories.com/testimonials .)
SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?
Lisabeth: Mary Oliver: ““Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going.”
For today's giveaway, Sparkle Stories is generously offering the following to TWO winners
~ a 3 month subscription to all four Sparkle Stories series!
In addition, Sparkle Stories is offering a special for SouleMama readers -Try Sparkle Stories for $1! First month of the full Sparkle Story series for $16 off the regular subscription price. Use the magic code "6BC4" when you sign up for all four stories. Offer valid through December 31st, 2011.
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Thank you to Sparkle Stories!
To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8am EST on Monday, and announce the winner(s), chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after.
Comments closed! The winner is...
Sounds so fun!! What a wonderful concept! Can't wait to listen to a story with my daughter.
Posted by: orianaI have actually almost bought a membership to that website 3 or 4 times and have always talked myself out of it. I have heard wonderful things about them. Great giveaway Sunday! ~ Barefoot Mama
Posted by: barefoot mama
