Sera YILDIZ

Hello everyone,

I am Sera. The The Power of Stories - Digital Storytelling project I joined in Poland was a genuinely special experience. The subject was digital storytelling, but the process meant far more than producing a video. That week was an unforgettable period in which I got to know myself better and met wonderful people.

The First Days and Settling In

From day one the trainers’ approach helped us all adapt very quickly. The short, energetic activities they ran before each session both raised our motivation and created a warm, sincere atmosphere between us. Being somewhere I could feel comfortable, safe and part of things from the first days meant a great deal to me.

The Digital Storytelling Process

Creating my own story and turning it into a video was a little challenging at first. Writing the text, voicing it and producing a video were all new to me. But over time the process became a space where I could express myself more openly and with more confidence.

Being able to turn my own story into something like that at the end gave me confidence in myself. Building my own narrative, completing it with my voice and producing something concrete meant a great deal.

One of the Best Moments

One of the best moments for me was when we all watched the videos everyone had made. Sitting down together, watching them and giving each other feedback was wonderful. Seeing everyone express themselves from a different perspective, and in such a short time, really moved me.

That moment showed the sharing side of the project as strongly as the individual one. Every video held another life, another feeling and another perspective. That variety made the experience even more meaningful.

Moments outside the Sessions

The project was not limited to training. In the evenings we played games, danced and walked along the shore. We met participants from other projects and built lovely friendships. The culture nights and things we shared strengthened our communication and made the time together far more meaningful.

Spending a week by the sea, in a calm place, both creating and meeting new people was genuinely wonderful. Sometimes even a short time can leave a deep mark on a person’s life. This project was exactly that for me.

What the Project Gave Me

It gave me a great deal socially in particular. I noticed I was more comfortable communicating with people and more confident in myself. It was also very valuable for gaining new perspectives and expressing myself.

Being able to build such strong bonds in a short time and complete a creative process together was far more affecting than I expected. The experience gave me important things both individually and socially.

Saying Goodbye

Parting at the end was genuinely hard for all of us. The last evening was emotional and sad. In that moment I understood again how strong the bonds we had built in such a short time were. Our final goodbye was really difficult.

I will carry the bonds I built and the wonderful experiences I had in that short time as a good memory for the rest of my life.

Thank You

Thank you very much to KOZ-DER for making me part of this. And thank you to the trainers, who did not only teach but gave us confidence and made us feel at ease.

This project will always remain a very special and valuable memory for me.