Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Hi, my name is Joe, and I work in a button fac-tor-y

Remember that chant?

"Hi, my name is Joe, and I work in a button fac-tor-y
I've got a dog and three kids, that's my fam-i-ly
One day my boss came up to me
She said, 'Joe, are you busy?' I said 'no.'
'Push this button with your right hand.'

It goes on, with poor Joe pushing buttons with his left hand, right foot, left foot, elbow, knee, whatever, until after the tongue, when the answer to 'Joe, are you busy?' is YES!

Anyway, yesterday I made buttons (a.k.a. badges), the kind with slogans on them. Last year I bought a button machine so I could make these for the Midwest Arts conference in Kansas City, where I had an exhibit booth. I'm going again, this time to Indianapolis.

Here are a few of my favorites:
  • All my stories start with a seed of truth (this is my logo tagline)
  • And they lived happily ever after...or did they?
  • Truth is immutable, facts are flexible.
  • Stories rock!
  • Puppets rule! (slightly political, if you read it that way)
  • What if?
  • That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
  • "My tail is told," said the little boy on the block of ice.
  • And then what happened?
  • What's your story, morning glory?
It was fun watching people at the conference sift through the buttons, looking for the perfect one. It was much more interesting than just offering them my brochure, a sample CD and chocolate. Of course, I'll offer those as well.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Priscilla, I am so glad I got to catch your storytelling showcase here in Indy last night! It was really a treat to hear you tell. 'Hope the rest of the festival goes well for you and that you have a safe trip home.

Hope

PriscillaHowe said...

Hope,
Thanks, thanks, thanks for being there! It was a real treat to see you and to get a chance to blab afterwards, even briefly.
Priscilla

Anonymous said...

It's hi my name is jo and I work in a bottle factory
I have a wife
And 3 kids
And 1 day my boss camE up to me
He said jo, are u busy
I said no
He said good
He said push this bottle with ur right hand (doodoodoo)
( right hand left hand / legs tounge bum then are u busy YES!!!)