John Micheels Leiseth

In his CreativeMornings Fargo talk, Jon Micheels Leiseth weaves personal narratives and professional insights to explore the theme of “Journey.” Drawing from his background in theater and theology, Jon delves into how storytelling can be a path to healing, connection, and understanding. His reflections invite us to consider the threads that compose our own journeys and how they intertwine with the stories of others.Jon grew up in a house of stories–told, written, and played…in music and in making believe. In some combination of nature and nurture, Jon became a holder of family stories, a witness of stories of suffering and healing, a teller of stories that made space for laughter, joy, for pain, for longing and belonging, for imagining and dreaming. Jon earned a Master of Fine Arts degree focusing on directing and teaching theatre and, 20 years later, a Master of Arts degree from Luther Seminary for which his thesis project was entitled Healing the Body, a daily practice of healing the traumatized bodies of people and communities. But if his life is a weaving, the warp threads providing its structure are his friends, family, and faith.