KEY POINTS:
Tanya Batt, 36
Storyteller, author
Working hours: "There isn't a time work starts or finishes. It's certainly not a 40-hour week."
Employer: Self-employed
Pay: "It varies all the time . A little bit more than Peter and a little less than Paul."
Career prospects: Being your own boss.
Describe your job.
I'm a "story-aphile". The story is essential to all aspects of my work. I have had a school of dance and drama for children, there's my performance work that takes me throughout New Zealand and around the world story-telling, and writing books for children and educational resources.
I also work with adults, mainly in educational and professional development. I make my living from something that is intangible.
What's your background?
I was born in New Zealand but my family moved to Australia.
Both my father and stepfather were geologists, so we moved around the mining community. I went to nine different schools. I was the eldest of seven children. We lived in a story rich home and we didn't have a television.
We were encouraged to read and play outside.
Why did you choose the job?
It wasn't something you find in the situations vacant column. At 17 I returned to New Zealand and went on that quest that stories are made of.
I wanted life and work to be the same thing. I trained as a teacher but knew that I wouldn't teach, I wanted to work in education with stories.
Why is the job important?
Einstein said if you want your children to be brilliant, tell them stories. If you want them to be more brilliant, tell them more stories.
That sums it up for me.
Where do you get your ideas?
I tell children I get them from the ideas shop or the ideas tree.
The stories that I am most drawn to telling have some resonance with my own experience. Children are a great source of inspiration because they have a quirky, off-beat way of looking at the world.
What are the differences between pitching stories to children and adults?
With adults, you don't have someone in the front row yelling out, 'My Nana bought me some new shoes today!'. I always say you are never too young or too old for a story.
I have done quite a few adult programmes and the most successful are the ones that have some sexual innuendo.
You describe yourself as a frockaholic?
With my propensity for dressing up and talking a lot, I would say I have made a real imaginary job out of it.
I have making a living from storytelling for about 16 years. I used to dress as characters but my clothing has evolved to where it isn't character-or theme-specific. The distinction between my civilian and performance wardrobe has blurred.
You have a Little Red Riding truck.
My truck goes all over New Zealand. I call her my wardrobe on four wheels. I've lived a nomadic life, and I have a fleet of bicycles.
I like the idea of turning up on my bicycle for storytelling.
What questions do children ask you?
Are you married? Are you rich? They assume if you write a book you must be rolling in money like J.K . Rowling. I point out that I am the richest woman in the world because I do what I love, and that makes up for any amount of money.
Sometimes they ask insightful questions like, "Do all stories have happy endings?" Children's questions illustrate the thinking process that's going on. It's not so important to give them an answer, but to help them process things out loud.
What is the secret to keeping children interested in storytelling?
Engaging children's minds and challenging them and asking them to step a little bit beyond their capacity, that's how you strengthen them.
What are your strengths?
Obviously my imagination. I'm very autonomous - I got that from my mother who always said, "There's no such thing as can't!"
Where do you want to be in five years?
My schedule can be frantic, jumping from one project to the next and trying to execute several things simultaneously. I would like my life to be simpler. When I got the truck I had the romantic idea of travelling and writing and just arriving and telling a story, but I can see that we plan our lives a year, two years ahead.
I would just like to be more in the moment really, never mind five years.
What's your advice for someone wanting to do something similar?
There isn't a path to actually find the way to becoming a storyteller, but there is satisfaction because I have chosen something I love to do.
I'm answerable only to myself. That's a great freedom, but with that comes responsibility.
You have to have good self discipline and good organisational skills. And you have to be willing to do a little of everything.
