Reflection

Reflection

I have always been passionate about storytelling because of the power it has to move individuals and connect communities. Many of the folktales I explored before committing to the Umibōzu legend warned people about monsters and the atrocities they committed – but I realized that what we are doing to change the planet is not so different. In the process of creating the StoryMap, I increasingly felt cynical as I realized how disconnected we have become from our environment and the cultural stories of our ancestors. Through this modern mode of storytelling, I intended to reconnect our past legends with modern issues and reveal how hypocritical and ironic our actions and treatment of the environment are. Previously, I thought that legends only gave us insight into how people of older generations viewed natural phenomena and their surroundings. Now, I realize they are cautionary tales about our transformation into monsters.