Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Terrell.
Jane, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When people ask me what I do, I say “I am a Storyteller,” but what does that really mean? I have always been a Storyteller. From performing in and directing amateur dramatics, to giving many speeches. From regularly reading fairytales to my children and grandchildren, to being proficient with my job interviewing skills. From having a work background in both Telecommunication Sales and Employment Consulting, to being selected as a trainer within these industries. These are all examples of storytelling and how, over my life, I have been honing my craft as a Storyteller. This I know now, but back then, I wasn’t totally aware that I was mastering storytelling. As I write, I am asking myself, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Was I good at these activities because of some sort of innate storytelling talent, or were those talents, honed over many years, of existing within the perfect training grounds? Either way, I am proud to say that, I now know myself to be a bone fide Storyteller, an Artist, someone who can write and perform a story at a level that can bring the audience with me, so that we can journey together into a world, that I created.
Until age 19, I was living my life in Aylesbury, in the south of England where I was born. It was then that I met and married my first husband who was in the United States Airforce. We moved around a lot and so, because of those circumstances there were many more twists and turns I my journey than usual. But I always held a job. I had good jobs, but at least twice, I was offered some pretty big promotions just as Uncle Sam said that it was time for us to ship out to our next assignment. Ultimately though, I always did well no matter where I was or what I was doing. My two favorite jobs were when I worked for the British Government when we were stationed in England. I worked as an Employment Consultant. I found work for individuals who were notoriously hard to place, those we called, The Long Term Unemployed, and I excelled at it. I had the ability to create very good relationships with those who were hiring, as well as those who were job-seeking. I then, skillfully matched them together, using my powers of empathy and the trustworthy relationships that I was able to form. The longest job I held was my last one. I worked 15 years with the largest and arguably the best phone company, working my way up into management. My role consisted of coaching their, award-winning sales force to success. So, I see myself as primarily, a worker bee, who has been blessed with people skills, capable of connecting with those at all levels within an organization. The transient nature of my life, however, didn’t allow my work career to take off or climb up the ladder further than entry-level management. Still, I’m super proud of what I have been able to achieve with the cards I have been dealt. Ultimately, that’s what life is about, it’s about making the very best you can, with what you have, and using it to try to fulfill your dreams. The takeaway I hope you get from my message so far is, YES YOU CAN, if you really want to. I believe in The Power of Decision.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My life voyage has had many twists and turns, and it has thrown some pretty hard curveballs. I have also dodged, more than my fair share of bullets that were aimed straight at me. Today, I proudly stand with millions of others, as a person with a disability. I am a passionate advocate for the disabled community. At age eight months, I contracted polio, a disfiguring and debilitating virus that attacks and kills motor-neurons. Every single muscle is susceptible to it, and if it attacks a vital muscle, like the heart or diaphragm for example, that’s when people can die. That’s why I call myself a survivor. As for me, polio-affected and partially paralyzed my left arm and right leg. My paralysis unfortunately, is now known to be progressive because of the late effects of the initial virus, also known as Post-Polio Syndrome. As motor neurons, damaged by the initial virus, continue to die an early death, my mobility continues to decline, hence the need for more and more assistance. Polio used to be known as Infantile Paralysis because children are its preferred victim. That’s why I am a passionate advocate for childhood vaccinations, and I get quite upset when people sometimes seek me out to espouse their crazy anti-vaccine, opinions. Thankfully, for everyone, there was a vaccine introduced in 1955 and so, Polio is now eliminated in the USA and throughout most, but not all, of the world. However, like the Ebola Virus for example, it is only a plane ride away and we could easily be right back, living in the 1940s and 1950s when it was rampant, if we as a society, do not heed the strong warnings about keeping up our vaccinations. I strongly feel that every time I go out into the world in my flawed, disabled body, I am helping to show that every single person has value. That is how I like to show love, just by being open. I believe that vulnerability is my super-power. I have also now made it my life work to demonstrate, through my artistry, that we are all capable of being a success, even if life has taken something from you that you thought you couldn’t live without. Some other part of you will likely kick in to compensate and you can develop that part to a level, capable of making something wonderful. I am also in my wheelchair or power scooter intermittently, (but much more so these days) which I also feel sends a commanding message. I have noticed that little children just gravitate to me, which I adore. I am consciously open to them and their curiosities and want to leave them with a good experience. I may be their first encounter with someone with an assistive device and I want them to know that it’s perfectly ok and I’m just like them, but on wheels.
Another life-altering struggle that I do feel I must mention is my divorce from my first husband after 22 years of marriage. The circumstances of that split are, by today’s standards nothing extraordinary. Divorce is a constant in our society. Mine was devastating to me and I struggled so much through that process, because I was so far away from my family, my support system. It left scars, it knocked me down and it hurt, but now, I know it was my destiny and God had many things for me that are so much better. Another life lesson is that love shouldn’t hurt. My mother always told me family stories and she would always say, “We come from a long line of tough old broads,” and I have drawn on that strength many times along the way. I used it, during this time in my life, to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. I have now been happily married to my second husband Joe for the past 11 years.
But all in all, I am a happy camper. Along the way, I raised two phenomenal girls who are now beautiful young women with families of their own and I have been able to show them, through example, how to navigate in the face of great adversity. I share these struggles with all of you, in case my story can help somebody. I welcome any platforms that allow me to continue telling my stories because I fully understand and believe in the power of storytelling.
Story Lady Jane – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My artist name is Story Lady Jane. I am The Storyteller with A Message. Being from England, some people just naturally started calling me, “Lady Jane,” and I loved it, it stuck. Then one day, some children, described me as, “The Story Lady,” so my artist name is a combination of the two. Storytelling is my craft, but I think of it as more of a calling, rather than a business. Having said that, artists can be notoriously bad at handling the business aspects of things and I strive to not make those types of mistakes. It seems that in the last few years, I have worked my way into more and bigger venues and hopefully, that trajectory will continue. I think the skies are the limit as far as what I do. When I started my journey, I performed at churches and small poetry groups but when people started asking me if I had any products like recordings of my work etc. to sell, I realized that I could take this far beyond just a little cute hobby type thing if I wanted to. I set about writing a lot of my own material that spoke to my concerns about social justice issues. If I had to pick one or two words to sum up the messages that I bring, I would say I am all about diversity and inclusion, those are the subjects that I am most passionate about. I have a couple of books on those subjects in process, one is a picture book (currently being illustrated) the other, a rather hard-hitting memoir. I hope that I get to come back and tell your readers all about those books once they are published because I’m so close to completion. Today, I make videos on social media of the material that I don’t necessarily intend to publish professionally, and I enjoy using them to connect with friends and fans. Through this, I have made valuable connections with hundreds of other storytellers from across the globe which serves to bless and enrich me as an artist and as a global citizen. I also connect with hundreds of other polio survivors through an online storytelling group that I started, just for them. Their stories must not die with them, we are currently over 400 active members. But what drives me, thrills me and gives me the best natural high on the planet, is the live performances that the creator has manifested for me. I have performed at libraries, nursing homes, churches, historical sites, private parties and corporate events. But, my largest performances, to date, have been on the stage of the 2019 Tejas Storytelling Festival in Denton, and at the Oral Fixation show at the Moody Performance Hall (and around Dallas,) in a storytelling show called, From Freedmans’ Town to Botham Jean: Stories of Racial Healing. It took me a few days to come down from the natural high from being on these large and prestigious stages and, like any addict, I want more. But I’m not selfish, I love to collaborate, and I get joy from just giving and sharing my messages. I’m always looking for and open to, like-minded people, that is why I jumped at the chance to connect with your readers. I believe that Dallas has so much talent that is, to date, widely undiscovered.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Growing up, one of my teachers gave me a nickname and I’m proud of it. She called me “Battling Annie.” I got that name for being the one who ALWAYS stuck up for those in my school who were downtrodden, bullied or ostracized. I’m sure I got like that because of my own experiences of being different. Then there were those who sought to bully me, but they failed miserably, mostly because of me being from a long line of “tough old broads,” and honestly, they only served to fire me up. They ignited a storm of strong feelings about social justice within me, that burns to this day. By having that scrappy personality, I was popular in high school. I was always the first one cast in the school plays, if there wasn’t a role, one would sometimes be written in. I was often the one picked to represent my school to give speeches at my town’s civic events and, my crowning glory was when I was elected Head Girl (Britain’s answer to Student Body President) my senior year. Pretty much, you could say that I had, the gift of the gab, I wasn’t shy, I was the consummate Storyteller. These types of interests and skills were completely suppressed as I raised my children. I assumed the role of full-time working mommy, a role which I loved. My girls were 16 months apart, my time was not my own. So immediately after my divorce, my girls were grown and I now had a little more space for me, when I wasn’t working. There wasn’t much extra time, but I did make some time and my creativity came back with a vengeance and so, here I am. What I love about me today, is that I am fully retired from the corporate world and I have once again found myself, the real me. That to me, is success! I have come full circle and found my essence again. I am completely who I was designed to be. I’m obviously much older now, so I don’t know how much time God has left for me to work these big dreams of mine, I guess that’s why I feel somewhat of a sense of urgency. I want, very much to create my art, and to continue being, A STORYTELLER, and just see how far it will take me, after all, I really do have some important stories to tell and I thank you for listening.
Contact Info:
- Website: StoryLadyJane.com
- Phone: 817 454-8418
- Email: storyladyjane@gmail.com
- Instagram: storyladyjane
- Facebook: @storyladyjane
- Twitter: @storyladyj
Image Credit:
Paul Porter
Joe Terrell
Christian Vasquez
Chuck G Gcode
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
