I have neglected Jim Saahuun for a season, school is another full-time job itself... he is still in a coma kaw. I am working as a journalist again this summer. Another school of storytelling itself.
Mostly, I have been working on this narrative project offline; on paper and pen whenever I get the chance to sit down and think creatively.
During the winter semester at Concordia University, is where the last recent episode actually took place in an academic paper/ creative art book format for my First Peoples Sacred Stories course; where (James) Jim Taayuu presented his presentation just right after their near-fatal accident which landed Jim Saahuun in a coma. Fusing traditional and western philosophy was quite the headache however, it is workable and educational. It seems like every new episode that I write becomes even larger with every word spoken, then written, then translated, then painted. The more the setting needs the space to be created, the more time this narrative needs to flourished properly, and the histories of the characters take root even deeper than what I have initially conceived.
I am beginning to illustrate some of the characters, mostly creating Mr Saahuun, in order to give face to faceless characters and to aid me visualize their interactions. (I will need reference models pretty soon.)
This narrative project has been developing and growing on me as a storyteller for the past decade or so and I am determined to continue creating this project until it's manifested in its entirety as I originally dreamt it at the beginning.
I would like to thank all of my teachers, family, friends, even strangers that I have met along the way, who have either discouraged me (we all need motivational reasons), others who encouraged me to be creative, in mind, in spirit, on canvas, on paper, or in any or every other medium that I have been using since I began on this journey as a human being and as a Storyteller from birth. Words of encouragement are important, whether they are directed to an adult, a child, or youth, or even an elder. You all know who you are, mishtii jiniskuumitinaawao.
Akuuda, Wachiya. nii Amanda T. Sam
