Storytellers.Indivisible

Changing the narrative to reclaim democracy

Hi! Welcome to Storytellers.Indivisible.

 I am Maria Mar, poet, artist, writer, storyteller, shaman and citizen leader. (This last job is what we all need to embrace in order to save democracy from the fascist power grab our country is experiencing.)  

My personal mission is to help women to use their creativity to create the life they want. I help them use storytelling to re-write limiting stories into the story they want to live.

And now, I place this art and experience at the service of our democracy. Whohoo!

Maria Mar in an online Medicine Story as Pachamama, or Earth Mother.

Changing the Narrative

There is so much to do to stop this fascist coup and it's all so urgent! 

But as I've taken the Indivisible trainings and other nonviolent resistance training to make sure that I'm helping and not hindering, I have become convinced that one of the most important jobs we can do right now for We, the People is to help shift the narratives that are stopping so many of us from actively participating in reclaiming our democracy. 

We need all hands on deck to defeat this fascist coup, but too many of us are doubting, waiting or afraid to get engaged. As I love storytelling, I decided that this was my leadership call right now: to use storytelling in all its versions to help change the narrative. I hope that you feel the same and join me. 

What do I mean by changing the narrative?

This is Why I Created this Group

As a shaman, I have seen how the narratives we carry distort our perception and can trap us in realities that go against the life we want to live.

I see it happening right now. At a moment when we must choose to stand against the regime, many are capitulating because they believe the narrative that our democracy is dead, in spite of the truth that millions of us are fighting to keep it alive.

Those who believe this narrative, bury democracy alive because they comply with the demands of the regime, thereby becoming complicit and allowing it to advance.

We need to change the narrative that the Destroyer (My nickname for the madman in the White House) is installing at both the national level and in our heads. 

Storytellers.Indivisible is doing just that at the moment by participating in online conversations and helping people to shift from despair to empowerment, from confusion to clarity and from overwhelm to focused participation.
 
We are in a moment of death and rebirth. Inherent in this destruction is the possibility of letting go of the status quo and the policies that derailed our democracy and to help this democracy be born again from its ashes as an evolved democracy with freedom and justice for ALL ~ not just for a few.

But in order to embrace this possibility, we must perceive that this is not just a death. Yes, it is the death of an old world where we have grown used to power as white patriarchal dominance that appropriates and destroys, heedless of consequences. It is the death of an old human that has become alienated from self, others and the planet. This is what is dying. And death is chaotic. It involves destruction and walking into the unknown.

But to grab the possibility emerging amidst this destruction, we must see that this moment is also a birth. It is the birth of a new earth where the citizens reclaim the true spirit of democracy; where people not only actively choose democracy as a way of life but also evolve democracy by becoming the citizen leaders that democracy needs to evolve. It is the birth of a new human who embraces UNITY consciousness, living in harmony with self, others and the planet

When we reframe what is taking place in this way, we begin to see the lessons and possibilities in every challenge we face. And that opens a strategic path towards the victory of democracy.
 
But we cannot do this if we believe the narratives that the Destroyer is painting.

The Destroyer is running the country like a reality show, putting on a performance that he is already a dictator, that what he says is the law and that our country is already an authoritarian regime. He sits in the oval office and signs his Executive "Disorders" in a huge binder with a signature as big as his ego and as jagged as his mental health sine waves. And the mainstream media spreads this.  

And too many people are believing that reality show. As a result, they are giving up on our democracy. They are preemptively embracing defeat. And we need them fighting for democracy, not burying it alive.   

Storytelling is the most powerful way to help us change our perception of reality so that we can find our truth and choose the best path towards our goals. So let's use it on behalf of democracy. 

How can we do this?

Reality is made of Stories


 “The Universe is made of stories, not of atoms.”  
~Muriel Rukeyser~poet and activist

So often we want to control reality and get frustrated when it does not do our bidding. On the other hand, we miss the many bridges that life extends for us to get to our destination just because they come disguised as obstacles.

Having learned this, when I could not heal my leg injury fast enough to march and I could not find any local Indivisible group that was a good fit, I curbed my frustration and instead I stopped struggling, started breathing and listened. I listened to what was concerning me. 

It was this two opposite realities that I keep seeing. It was as if I was living in two different, diametrically opposite worlds. Hear me out and if you've seen the same thing, then we got to talk!

Two Narratives
Our country has two giant screens where people are perceiving our reality. In one screen the Destroyer broadcasts his authoritarian delusions and people perceived it as true.

And in the other screen, people look at his actions and respond with strategic actions of their own to stop, delay, sabotage, or even make his actions backfire. In this screen, we are not spectators, but spectActors.

In the first screen we still respond passively, giving away our power to this regime, to bullies, to guns. This is what we have become habituated to: being passive citizens.

In the other screen, we are awakening. We are realizing that there is a death but there is also a rebirth and we decide that we will help the birth of a new democracy. We are becoming~ each one of us~ the leader that democracy needs.

When I saw this vision, with this clarity, then my path became clear.

Both as a shaman and as a storyteller I work with the art of changing narratives. I call it Story Alchemy(tm).

I then understood why the thing that was most fulfilling for me at the moment-- even though I'm writing a book and doing videos and blogging-- was simply to join the conversations online.  

At first I could not believe that something so simple and delightful could be of use. Storytelling. Talking with those who were seeking answers, solutions, resources, hope, information. Could it be that simple?

And there it was. The beautiful art of sharing stories, experiences, insights, emotions and visions. This so very old practice is now having a rebirth within my life, as I am using it to help in the transformation of our democracy.

If you love this old art of sharing stories, of simply listening to each other and sharing. Of helping each other by sharing resources. Of coming together to find hope, strength and new solutions... then you may belong here. It's worth giving it a good try, see if this is a place where your personal skills or personality can make a difference.

Can you join us to help change the narrative, so that more people move from grief, defeat, despair and passivity to becoming citizen leaders and participate in growing the pro-democracy movement to save our democracy?

If you are here, you are interested.
Is this a good fit?


Why has empathy become controversial? It is the antidote to violence, cruelty and separation. It is the path to UNITY.

I'm seeking those who can listen deeply and compassionately, without judgment or blaming, in order to help others to get active on behalf of democracy.  

Those who are not easily triggered, but instead seek places where different perspectives meet and create new solutions, those are a great fit here!

We are focusing on:

 1. Those people who are already opposed to this regime, but are not taking action. 
They may be scared, overwhelmed, believing that we cannot do anything to stop this, not knowing resources or actions that can help or waiting for someone to save us.   

Our goal is to help them to shift one degree over from passive opposition to the regime to active opposition.  

Why? Because at this critical moment in the fight against democratic backsliding, we must generate a human Wall of Noncompliance that stops the wanna-be dictator from taking over. That takes many of us, each with a brick for that wall.

2. We also want to reach those who are actively seeking what to do, but are confused. Either they can't find specific doable information, they can't find a local group or they can't find actions that they feel OK to take.

Our goal with this group is to direct them to specific resources. The names of grassroots groups, the sites where to subscribe, the web pages where they can find specific information, the resources to sync with the movement priorities, and ways to find how to find the right action for them right now.

Why? Because a lot of people are scared and that paralyzes them or makes them enter denial. However, it does not have to be like that. There are ways of choosing actions that are less risky and gradually build courage. We can help them get started. If they feel that they have to do something that is too risky for them, they will withdraw.

And there are people that need specific instructions and easy resources that they can adapt to their situations. So we need to reach them and help them find their place.

3. The third group we want to reach at the moment is those who have special circumstances that do not allow them to go on a long march or to participate in ICE rapid responses. Many then conclude that there's nothing they can do. 

The other day I had a conversation with a man who was blind and in a wheel chair. He was lamenting that he could not join and felt so powerless to save democracy. I told him: "I hear you. But right now you are doing something challenging for you. You are joining an online conversation. If you can do this, you can then do many things: you can talk to people online, you can use social media, you can write." Then I share my own limitations: "Something similar happened to me because I was frustrated that I could not go march as I cannot walk far right now. Then I stopped focusing on what I could not do and ask myself "well, what CAN I do?" And I came up with a solution of using storytelling and writing." The man answered me and thanked me because I had helped him get out of the funk and he was inspired and felt that yes, he could do something.

We need to let the people in this group know that there is so much to do! And there are creative ways for each of us to do these things. We need to share a bit of strategic mindset that allows them to see how small actions have big impacts. And we need to help them feel that whatever they can do is enough.

4. The next group we want to reach are those who are independent, non-voters or see themselves as Republicans, but no longer believe in this Regime and would like to join the protests... but think that they are not welcome.

We need to let them know that as long as they oppose this regime and are not white supremacists or fascists, they belong with the movement. The media keeps calling the protests as organized by "democrats" and with all the divisionism and the old party antagonism, this makes those people think that it's the Democratic Party doing the protests. Nothing could be furthest from the truth. In fact, the movement is not adscribing itself to any party. It is a cross-partisan movement and it must be in order to reach our 3.5% of the population goal.

Which leads us to the last group we need to reach...

5. Those who are following everything that is happening, but are feeling terrified and overwhelmed because they do not understand the strategy of nonviolent resistance. They see ICE raids and only see the bullies and the guns, thinking that those facing them are risking their lives but not achieving their goals. Some ask themselves when are we going to "really" fight (meaning take arms). It is important that they understand that nonviolent resistance is twice as effective as armed resistance when facing an authoritarian coup.

We need to help them SEE how nonviolent resistance works and why it works and to recognize the strategies. We need to share the victories of the People, because the media is not covering them and this can lead to giving up or burnout.

And finally, we need to grow!

We need to go from 7 million people engaged actively in protesting and not complying to 11 million people (3.5% of the population of the US) who refuse to do the Destroyer's bidding and are standing up against this regime.   

That may seem too difficult. But it's not. In February 2025 we only had about 75,000 people showing up to marches. And by July 2025 we had 5 million people marching in the NO KINGS 1 And by October we had grown to 7 million for NO KINGS 2. So now we want to change narratives to help the movement grow into 11 million! 

So we need to grow our unified cross-partisan nonviolent grassroots pro-democracy movement exponentially. And to do this, we need to move people from passive opposition to active opposition to this fascist coup; so that they break their silence and compliance and instead practice non-compliance and actively resist.

We need to help people find their belonging and entry-point so that they start where they are and take action NOW!-- before the Window of Freedom is closed by this regime.

And the best way to do this for me-- and I hope for you too-- is by addressing people's questions and doubts, giving them the resources they need and sharing stories that inspire, uplift, clarify and empower them.  

This is doable. But it's also urgent.   

And we are doing it in three phases.

Phase 1: Online Conversations

Instead of leaving it to the cyber-spiders of the internet to present topics that may have been skewed by algorithmic settings, we Storytellers are marching all along the online conversations where this passive pro-democracy citizens are seeking information and answers. We are going to help them activate themselves as citizen leaders who are actively fighting for democracy.  

As Storytellers, we can joyfully help grow the non-violent pro-democracy movement and save our democracy.  

Why storytelling?

Because when you tell a story you are not arguing. You are sharing. You are not trying to convince. You are expanding imagination and sharing information. And that has a magic of its own.  

This is not about convincing people, manipulation, arguing who is right or wrong. None of that. There's enough of that out there and it's not helping. In fact, it's creating more chaos and division.  
This is about empathy-- that word that has become controversial at this time of hatred and bigotry. Because empathy leads to UNITY. When we respond to the other person with empathy we see ourselves in them. We relate. And we want to help.  And when we do this, we generate Unity and become citizen leaders empowering others to:      
 
~ Discover that we have not lost our democracy, that there are millions of us fighting to save it,
~ Dispel negative assumptions, fears or misinformation so that they can focus on what matters,
~ Regain hope and feel that they are not isolated,
~ Find the resources they need,     
~ Get inspired by other's stories,      
~ Clarify their ideas and make better choices,      
~ Know that they are not alone,     
~ Be uplifted by what others have accomplished,     
~ Acknowledge their emotions and uplift their spirit,      
~ Feel listened to and relax a bit so that they can...     
~ Receive support and activate themselves.   

Sometimes a sentence can illuminate the path for someone. Not by telling them what to do because that is condescending. But by letting them know they are not alone, offering a link to resources or sharing an insight that brings clarity.  

I love doing this Storytelling job because at the end of my session I myself feel inspired, uplifted, energized, relaxed and feel that I am making a difference with my love and talent and my passion for conversation and story. And I always learn and grow myself. It is so rewarding!

If you relate, then I invite you to give Storytellers.Indivisible a try.  It's easy to start. We give you Basic Guidelines with scripts and resources so you can start right away. You start with what I call Comment Stories. In other words, we join the online conversation threads and help those who need it. You will receive all the information you need, including criteria to use, texts and resources.

Another importance of this Comment Stories and joining the online conversation is that you are taking the pulse of the people. When you do your Storytellers Report about your Storyteller Round, we take the information seriously because it lets us know the pulse of We, the People. This helps us do a better job of growing the pro-democracy movement.

We are just starting this group, so this is a work in progress. However, we've created the Basic Guidelines so that you can start right off the gate!


Phase 2: Social Media Visuals
Once you are doing Phase 1 for a while-- about a couple of months-- you are going to know the narratives that are stopping people. You can hear their voices. And you can translate that into a story that is easily communicated visually in social media.

This can be through visual quotes, cartoons or stick figure dialogue, Q& A or whatever inspires you. You don't have to do Phase 2. But for some of you this may be fun.

In Phase 2 you are translating the narratives you heard into stories that can easily address the questions, fears and needs of a large number of people.

You can also inspire, uplift and engage people because you have become familiar with their narratives and challenges.

At this point, you will know that you like this group and can then join the StartUp Team and help Storytellers.Indivisible group to grow. (We are not there yet.)

Phase 3: Take the Stories on the Road
This is when you can combine your gifts, passion or personality into your Storyteller work by taking it to other places. 

For example:
1. To your blog, YT channel, podcast or writings.
2. To creating pamphlets to distribute in your community.
3. To creating poetry, stories or performance pieces that you can present at events.
4. To creating Q&A events as part of local organizations. You can even use creative projects (like puppets) to deliver the Q&As.
5. To create a group that takes the narratives into visual components of national marches, engaging artists and actors to perform them.
6. Becoming a Storyteller.Indivisible speaker for the media

And anything else you want to do. We are in the Imagi Nation here!

Do you like the possibilities? Then you can start right now.

You can start in three steps.


Here is one of my cartoons depicting some of the narratives I hear. I post them in social media and emails.

How does it work?  

Get a Basic Guideline. Give it a try. 

You can join in 1-2-3.
1. When you begin, we'll provide the information you need. In the Basic Guidelines we'll give you an orientation, basic comment-stories scripts, a list of alternative/progressive news sites where you can find the people who may need answers, inspiration or resources. You will also find guidance and how to do your Storyteller Rounds, and visual resources to post in your social media. In this process, you also get a lot of information about the pro-democracy movement, nonviolent resistance and strategy that you can use in your conversations.

2. Then you do your first Storyteller Round. You go and visit the sources we suggest, watch the news show and join the comment thread. When you see someone with questions, comments or issues listed in our resource, you use the scripts we included. You use the criteria in the Basic Guidelines and your intuition to choose who to engage with.

3. Once you try it once or several times, come back and leave me feedback about the experience. You can include observations, questions, ideas, etc. This is your Storyteller Report. 

Level 1 is as easy as ABC
A. You can join from any state and work on your own time, from home.   
B. All you need is a computer and internet. You can do it from a device, but it may be cumbersome.
C. You can do this in your spare time. You can do a Storytelling Round in about 2 hrs or less. You can do it once or twice a week, or what is possible for you. We want you to enjoy it, not to burn out!   

If you like it, then you can move to Storytellers Phase 2. *

This group is starting. I am inviting everyone interested to give it a try.
 
Let's keep it simple right now. That way we keep the Perfectionist out of the way and test-drive it.

 Storytelling is the way we humans organize experience. 
It's natural and organic. It's like breathing to us.

So try it and you will see that you are a natural! 

* I changed the phrase from Level 1 to Phase 1, but there are many instances that I've not been able to change and don't want to go back because there's too much to do. Just remember that it's the same thing.

 What to do?

1. Click the button and register. You will be taken to the "Student Access" page where you can start immediately. I'm using my course-delivery platform here, so they have a learning language.
2. Go right to the Basic Guidelines. Study the contents of that module.  Download the resources.  Check them out.
3.Start right away. Do your first Storytelling Round for Phase 1 using the alternative news shows we list in the resource.    
4. You can do one 2-hour round or try it for a week or so. See how it goes.
5. Come back and let me know how it went. Give me feedback. Ask questions. Let me know if you want to continue. Do your Storyteller Report. 
6. If you are enjoying it, that's a good sign. If people are liking or thanking you or even answering you, that's a great sign. Keep going for about 2 months.

That's it. If you like it, here are the next steps:
6. Once you feel comfortable and want to do more, then continue with Phase 2 (coming soon), which graduates you into the StartUp Team.  We are not ready for that yet, but probably will begin calling team members in Spring of 2026.
7. Keep doing the rounds and when you are ready try to play in Phase 3 if you want. Otherwise, keep doing the Comment Stories. That's totally cool too.

That's all.  I'm looking forward to seeing you inside!

I'm giving it a try!

Course Curriculum

Maria Mar

Are you struggling with putting your gifts “out there”? Then Maria is your guide to breaking free from the fears and limitations that steal your gifts from the world. Maria Mar is a storyteller, author, poet, performer, artist and shaman with more than 40 years of experience in transformation through the arts. She has helped creative women in three continents to embody their purpose, unfold their potential, share their gifts and awaken their creative genius. She is a scout for you during change and challenges and helps you go from where you are to where you want to be. Maria invites you to play for your transformation in a magical process that employs creativity to design the life you want. Maria specially loves to work with multi-talented women who are ready to be change-makers but struggle to integrate all their gifts to serve the world. Her shamanic stories are journeys of transformation, manifestation and liberation that lead to potent, immediate and deep changes in your real life.

Join this Group. Give it a try.

Storytellers.Indivisible

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  • Introduction. Resources. Monthly Meetings. Strategic Reports. Together we can change the narrative to reclaim our democracy.

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