Hanging By A Thread by Elaine Taylor

Please tell us about yourself:
I am currently working as an information technology (IT) tutor on the BBC bus visiting the communities of Cumbria.

We provide help to members of the public in using the many IT facilities available on the bus. I face a computer challenge most days.

I have worked in various professions since my first job, including graphic design, teaching primary age children and providing IT tuition to a wide spectrum of people in an equally broad range of environments ranging from casual home pc users to business 'power users'.

I thoroughly enjoy being a mum when not at work, pottering around, helping my young daughter achieve masterpieces which would put Picasso to shame.

What is your story about?
My story focuses on a skiing holiday I had a few years ago where I experienced almost every emotion going in seven days.

I have always had a problem with heights, so I knew the ski lifts could be a real issue for me where my legs would be dangling above giddy heights on the way up the slopes. Not only did I have the heights to contend with, but also the method of getting on and off the lifts with dignity.

Then there was also the worry of falling off them and plummeting to the slope below before we reached our landing area.

However, there was a really high and steep slope which I was not prepared to confront until my husband broke his arm. This meant he could no longer ski and I felt so sorry for him I agreed to attempt the big mountain, thereby facing my fear of the long, steep climb up. But on the way up, I realised going down was going to be much worse.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
Because my fear of heights is still with me, as will be my fear of ski lifts when I next go skiing. So although I conquered that particular mountain, the fear is still with me. However, I’ve proven to myself I probably can face other similar challenges in life.

What was the experience of making your digital story like?
I enjoyed exploring the literary aspect of it as I am much more used to working with stills than words, so had to apply my brain in a different way.

It was curious listening to the difference between how I thought I was emphasising words and how they actually sounded.

It has been a revelation to become aware of my own voice and how to explore voices further in the future with digital storytelling with other people.

Putting images in relevant places felt quite natural for this story, but I started seeing the holiday through another pair of eyes after a while, as if I was watching someone else’s story.

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