Revealed Presence® Story Cards

Revealed Presence Story Card logo

The Revealed Presence Story Card decks consist of 25 or 50 cards the size of standard postcards.  These cards are all selected from the photos and questions posted on our photo blog.  Each card has an image on the front side and a question on the back.  These cards can be used for personal and photographic inspiration as well as ice-breakers or conversation starters.  They are designed to elicit stories and work beautifully in group settings, but can also be used to create more intimacy in one-on-one conversations or to deepen individual meditation practices.

Decks are available in the following formats:

Some possible contexts where Story Card decks could enhance the experience:

    • The start of a meeting
    • Support groups ice-breakers
    • Psychotherapy sessions where the conversation seems stalled
    • English as a second language prompts
    • Writing inspiration
    • Conversation starters for getting to know new people (good for blind dates!)
    • Deepening existing relationships when people feel stuck
    • Creative expression and inspiration
    • Family diner table conversations
    • Problem solving
    • Daily inspiration

Or, anything else that sparks your fancy…

Here are some recent examples of how people are using these cards:

“At a strategic planning session, I asked people to pick a photo that resonated with how they feel about strategic planning. The photos safely let people talk about their negative feelings about strategic planning. At the end of the session, I asked them to pick a photo that reflected how they felt about strategic planning now. The changes were dramatic. The photos allowed people to say (in an indirect way) what they were feeling.  Recently I used the cards in a retreat for staff and advisory board members. At the beginning I asked people to choose photo that best reflected the past year. At the end of the retreat, I asked them to choose a photo that reflected how they felt about the upcoming year.”
Madeline Snow Typadis
Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
UMass Lowell

“To explore how people were feeling and what was important to them”
Deb H. NSW Australia

“At the cottage, just before supper, people look through the card spread out in the living room and bring one to talk about at the start of dinner.”
Jane

“Sending clients and students home with a random selection of 10 images for prompts to keep them reflecting/journaling/processing between appointments with me.”
Anonymous

For more even more stories about the use of Stories Cards, check out our Testimonials page.

Click here to learn more about how Carla came to develop the photo blog and this Story Card deck.

Here are some ideas for how you could use a Story Card deck for storytelling, conversation and inspiration:

Group facilitation ice breakers

Photo only: Ask people to chose a card that reflects some aspect of a question related to the work of the group.  As an introduction ask them to tell a story about why they chose the image.

Photo and Question: As people enter the room ask them to select an image they are drawn to but not to look at the back of the card.  Ask each person to tell a story about why they chose the image, and then have them turn the card over and answer the question briefly without having thought about it in advance.

Photo and Question: Have one person choose a card randomly from the deck and then have each person in the group reflect on the image and/or question by telling a personal story evoked by the card.

Group problem solving

Clarify the problem or issue confronted by the group and together arrive at a question that captures the essence of the problem.  As you consider that question, have each person pull a card randomly.  Reflect on the image and question.  As a group, consider how what the card presents might open or expand your understanding of the problem or issue.

Family/Friend gatherings where you want to deepen the conversation

Photo and Question: Have one person choose a card randomly from the deck and then have each person in the group reflect on the image and/or the question by telling a personal story evoked by the card.

Daily personal inspiration

Photo and Question: Randomly pull a card each day and use the photo and question to reflect on an important quality or focus for the day.

Again, decks are available in the following formats: