Podcast season 5: Episode 6 – How play and creativity can transform life story work

DAWN (00:09):

Welcome to the Creative Life Story Work podcast, your regular dose of life story work inspiration. Every month we bring you life story, work, ideas, tools, and honest insights from a range of perspectives. Stay connected to the latest thinking in life story work as we talk to people with lived experience, practitioners, local authorities, carers, and people who are shaping the way we help care experienced children and young people make sense of their past and build a brighter future. Today we’re exploring creativity and how it can transform life story work for care experience to children and young people. I’m absolutely delighted to welcome into the podcast studio today, Elena Miller. Elena has her own company called Star Bright Arts, and she’s also a Blue Cabin Associate Artist delivering life story work sessions with care experience children and young people. Elena is a passionate storyteller, writer, actor, singer, puppeteer, and arts facilitator. And if you are already wanting to think, I need to meet this person, Elena’s going to be doing a deeper dive into this topic in our online live classroom on March the 18th, 2026, 9:30am to 12:30pm. And you can find out more about this on our website at creativelifestorywork.com. Elena, thanks so much for joining us today.

ELENA (01:50):

Thank you so much for having me be here as well.

DAWN (01:54):

Elena, I’d love to start by hearing a little more about you and the work as an artist that you do. What do your days look like?

ELENA (02:06):

So no one day is the same in Elena Land. I have many hats that I wear and I love changing the hats on the daily. So Star Bright Arts is my little business. We use stories as springboards to help facilitate joy, connection and play with children and families. I’m also a clown doctor, so I work in the Northeast Hospitals and St Oswald’s Hospice facilitating and empowering playful moments with hospitalised children and their families. And as well, I am an associate artist with Blue Cabin and I’ve been doing that for over six years now, delivering Creative Life story work or their beautiful projects too.

DAWN (02:50):

Oh, what a palette of possibilities you have there in your working week. I read out a long list there of all the things that you do. So how did writing puppets, storytelling, acting, singing, how did all that become part of your life?

ELENA (03:08):

So I did a drama degree and then went straight into doing a master’s in performance studies, but it was specialising in theatre, a social intervention. And then I left uni and I was like, I don’t know what I’m going to do now, but I knew that I wanted to continue with creativity and so I just had a go at lots and lots of different things and had loads of strings to my bow. And I think it’s really helped having that breadth of experience tying everything in. And I really feel like actually now I’m really, and especially through doing the Blue Cabin work, I feel like all of the lovely worlds are colliding and all of that experiences coming together to really kind of make transformative powerful work. And so, yeah, lots of different experiences, but yeah, being creative in every single possible way has really helped us.

DAWN (04:07):

Fantastic. And how does that lead into you being that artist with all of those strings to your bow into the world of life story work?

ELENA (04:20):

So through the experiences that I’ve had, I’ve worked with such a breadth of ages and abilities and the people who I’ve worked with and the experiences that I’ve gained are all informing the work that I do in terms of creative life story work. I think having that with Blue Cabin now, that kind of trauma informed lens as well just means that all of that experience is really being channelled and I feel is really powerful when working with Care experienced children to have those different creative experiences. To be able to draw at the drop of a hat, a new different way of working is so valuable because something might not really not be working with somebody or a group. So you go, alright, well I’ll just do this instead. So yeah, I’ve got lots of things. Plan B, plan A, B, C, and D. The whole Alphabet.

DAWN (05:20):

Yeah. Oh dear. And so some of those tools that you’ve started using, you’ve mentioned storytelling and I know that you use Makaton and other communication aids. How is it that these make the life story work process more inclusive?

ELENA (05:43):

So if we’re thinking about it in terms of the trauma-informed principles, in terms of safety, setting up a safe space for young people, I think having a really clear visual representation of what’s going to happen in that session. So I’ve started using, well it’s like a form of visual aids that certain organisations use. So I’ve started having flashcards for what’s going to happen in a session so that I can explain to the children, this is what we’re going to be doing here today. And then being able to take it away when it’s finished. And then also using the Makaton for those visual aids as well. So again, there’s that kind of three way, there’s the spoken word, there’s the visual aid and there’s a sign. So if any children are struggling with verbal communication that they might be able to sign what they want to do in the session.

So again, there’s that element of choice as well, which is another one of the trauma-informed principles as well. So letting children, showing them what we’re going to do, but then also they have that decision as to what they might want to choose to do first or not do it all. And that’s absolutely fine as well. Again, having all those strings to the bow, we can omit something if they don’t want to do it. Having that choice and element of control is so important for the children. And then also there’s the kind of the empowerment as well. So something that I’ve become really aware of recently is this is through working with a theatre company called Bamboo Old Theatre Company who try not to use praise, direct praise. So it’s more about noticing what the children has done rather than going, oh, that’s really good. It’s about noticing what they’ve done. Like, oh, I noticed that you’ve used that colour there, or I’ve noticed that you’ve used lots of spirals. Can you tell me why? So it’s about giving them, empowering them to see what they’ve created and comment on what they’ve done as well. Yeah, that’s really interesting because about framing it slightly differently so that they have the power over what they want to tell you about the drawing or the theatre piece that they’ve made that’s really interesting. It’s just about inviting agency to what they’ve done and so that they describe it in their words or their own way rather than us noticing like us saying what we notice. It’s about what they notice about what they’ve created

DAWN (08:16):

At the very beginning – maybe in your first session when you’re meeting some of the young people, what are some of the examples of something that you might do at the beginning? A playful thing that you might do at the beginning of the session that just gently opens that door for this is how it’s going to be today?

ELENA (08:35):

So something that I’ve, again used in lots of sessions for creative life story work and that it worked really well online and in person was creating Makaton ground rules. So again, visual aids with the be kind, stay safe looking and listening. And so showing them the Makaton sign, so we would all learn that together and then we can play a quiz. So I would hold up the card and they would do the sign or I’d do the sign and they would tell me what that rule was. So again, just being really playful in setting up the space to make sure that is as safe and welcoming as possible for those young people and their grownups too.

DAWN (09:17):

That’s important. The grownups in the room as well playing, I imagine. Well, I know that some of these moments are really powerful when you are facilitating the sessions. I wondered if you could tell us about a time when you noticed a young person really connect with the methods that you were putting in place in that session?

ELENA (09:43):

So really interestingly, I think it was maybe one of my very first online sessions that I was delivering, and we know that there’s a really high percentage of children in care with additional needs. And there was a young boy, I say young, he was probably one of the oldest children in the group that I had, and he was autistic and his significant grownups in his life said that he might not join in, he might kind of stay off camera, he might not speak when prompted, and as the sessions went on, he became more active in the sessions, he would send little messages. The chat function became so important because he was able to write the things that he might want to say, and then at the end it makes us feel quite emotional. At the end, in the last session, he actually wanted to make a speech to everybody.

So to see that journey of a child being really shy, not joining in the ways that other children were, to then by the end see that confidence shining through the screen, I think that was a massive moment for me. Just seeing the power of a virtual space and what that can actually facilitate for children and young people who have additional needs because it is taken the pressure of being in a physical space, it’s taken the pressure of verbal communication. They can actually type it and they can choose to join in as much or as little as they like in that space, but ultimately it can be transformative.

DAWN (11:21):

Thank you. Thank you. That what a great example. In every introduction that I do, I talk about creative life story work, not only helping children explore their past but also imagine their future. And I wondered what your thoughts were on how creativity and play supports that.

ELENA (11:47):

So when I’ve been developing creative activities in terms of thinking about the future self, there was a couple of activities that I did. So one was writing a letter to your future self with your grownup. And there was something really lovely about facilitating that conversation of the carers notice and qualities about the child that they might like to further in the future, but also the child’s noticing things about themselves and passions that they’ve got at the moment that might then lead into exploring those in a more deeper meaningful way in the future. But having their grown up there at that time allows the grownup to facilitate the next steps for that to allow that growth to happen. So letters to the future self and then facilitating that to happen on a yearly basis or a six monthly basis to go, oh, that’s what I said six months ago, but actually now I really like this. So what can I do to continue that? So doing something that is a reflection activity that happens more regularly just allows them to clock where they were then, but also where they are now and also what they want to do in the future.

DAWN (13:01):

And for some of the people who are listening to this podcast who might be a bit nervous about using some of the creative tools and methods that you are describing, what advice would you give them?

ELENA (13:17):

I think there’s something really beautiful in the sense of doing something together. I remember delivering a project, I think it was with you, Dawn. We developed this online kind of creative sessions where we met a young person and they said what creative activities they would really like to do, and I didn’t really know very much about those things that they wanted to do. So it was about me going off and doing a little bit of research, finding some lovely creative things, sending them. And so we were on that journey together. It’s not about the product for me when I’m delivering my sessions, it’s about the process and about doing that process with that young person. There are no mistakes. Well, ultimately we learn from mistakes, but we’re making mistakes together and we can share each other and go, oh, that didn’t quite work, but I might try that this way next time or so not worrying too much. It’s not about being the best artist in the world or having all the knowledge about something, but if you can be on a level with them and go on that creative journey together, that creates safety, that creates the choice and control and collaboration, that’s really, that’s you and them exploring together.

DAWN (14:37):

I think I do remember that, Elena, and think you had to go and learn all about watercolours. I think that’s what it was.

ELENA (14:46):

I did, yes, it was watercolour painting and I loved it. I was using salt, I was sprinkling salt. I was finding beautiful pictures to try and recreate, and then I was shown some options and then the child chose which options we wanted to do. So it was a beautiful journey of discovery, like yeah.

DAWN (15:02):

Yes, it’s gorgeous. And again, for somebody who’s listening to this, what would you say is one really small first step that someone could take tomorrow that if they were running a life story work session tomorrow and what would be the first small step that they could do?

ELENA (15:20):

Tomorrow? I think that would be I finding some ways to be playful in your everyday life. I think so, because I’ve recently come off the back of a clown fellowship, so I’ve been learning about how to be more playful in my everyday. So even exploring the world through the senses, just noticing your senses more because we’re working with children and if they do have additional needs, they might be encountering people, places, smell sights for the very first time. And because we are older and we have experienced those things, how can we put ourselves back into that lovely childlike, playful quality of interacting with an object? Like you’ve never interacted it with it before. It could be a pen. How does a pen work? What can you do? You can scratch your head with it, you can pick your nose with it. I’m obviously not going to suggest that the children would do that, but what does it smell like? How does it move? What are the functions of it? So just being more playful in the everyday and noticing things through our senses more I think is a really beautiful way to get playful. Again, as we grow older, we forget to play. We kind of have to fit the forms and constraints of society, but actually if we can forget about those a little bit and be a bit more playful in everyday life, then we can be more playful with the children that we work with too.

DAWN (16:59):

Thank you. And I’m also just thinking about working with young people on their creative life story work. What about the space that you set up so that those young people feel safe to express whatever they want to express that day?

ELENA (17:16):

I think when it comes to creating safe spaces, there’s key things to think about. Sometimes children might want a space away from a group. So I’ve experienced sessions where we might all be sitting around a table, but a child and their grownup might be sat further away. And to allow that to happen is brilliant because ultimately if that’s their safe space, that’s fantastic. Thinking about things like lights, about sound, extra sounds in the room, having a little biscuit and a drink explaining in your visual aids of what’s going to happen in the day, like saying if anybody needs the toilet at any time, you can head off. So allowing those breaks and those little chimes for check-ins with people and having a designated break well is often a really useful thing as well. It might even be that you might have some little fidget toys or a blanket for somebody who might feel a bit overwhelmed.

I often have a little popup tent in my space with cushions and blankets. So if anybody was feeling overwhelmed, they can just kind of take themselves away to that little space for a little while and then join us back whenever they desire. Ultimately, it’s about choice and allowing the children to choose how much or how little they want to take part in that session. And even if a child sits in the tent for the full session, they can still hear and watch what’s going on. That’s their way of participating and that’s absolutely wonderful. Just for them to be present in the space with us is a total blessing. And then as the sessions go on, and it’s just about allowing them to join in within their own ways.

DAWN (19:06):

I’m just imagining the tent in your session.

ELENA (19:10):

It’s very snuggly.

DAWN (19:11):

Yes. So my final question for you this morning, Elena, if you had to sum up Creative Life story work in three words, what would they be?

ELENA (19:25):

Connection, creativity and relationships.

DAWN (19:33):

Creativity, connection, and relationships. Thanks so much, Elena, for a glimpse into your playful world today. It’s been an utter pleasure talking to you. Thank you. Thank you so much. If you want to meet Elena and find out more, then you can join our online classroom on March the 18th, 2026, 9:30am to 12:30pm. You can find out more about how to join us on our website at creativelifestorywork.com. Whether you are a foster carer, someone who has experience with the care system or you work with children and young people, we hope this episode has given you an insight into how we can make life story work better for young people and how you can use it in your own practise. You can find out more about Creative Life Story work on our website, creativelifestorywork.com, and you can find us on LinkedIn and Blue Sky at CreativeLSW. Please do get in touch there with any comments or questions as we’d love to hear from you. And if your podcast app allows, please do leave us a review as it really helps others to find our show. So until next month, bye for now.