Local Author Facilitates Connections Through 'Dig' Experience
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Local author Kristen Crabtree had created a pop-up experience called "The Live Dig" that welcomes curious strangers to find a connection within themselves.
"'The Live Dig' is a safe place for people to just be curious, and the curiosity can open a doorway into a story that has significance for them," she said.
Crabtree brings her experiences to farmers markets and shops, and hopes to expand her locations.
At her table, she invites people over to pick an object that most speaks to them — a globe, coffee grinder, binoculars or other item. She then asks the person why they chose it and some of the meaning and inspiration behind it, to bring out memories and connections.
"They pick an object and that quickly moves from the object to whatever is really like front of mind, and they don't even know it's front of mind," she said. "It tends to either be a story about another person, which I call the web, or it tends to be a story about connection to self and something that brings them a lot of joy and makes their heart sing. I'm starting to realize that it can also be a story about like a transformative moment."
Crabtree wrote "Be the You, That’s More You Than You’ve Ever Been," a 500-page "self-excavation," which comes with a journal for personal insight. She added the journal to provide something more hands-on to convey the ideas in her book.
She began displaying her "dig" this past spring during ArtWeek, saying it resonated across ages and genders. She was especially struck by how strongly it resonated with young men, mentioning how a Williams College student said he'd be "haunted by these questions."
She said she loves doing these digs to help hold space for people and help them learn something new and open a door to themselves they didn't know could be opened.
"On a selfish level, it feeds my soul. I had no idea how amazing it would feel to hold space for people while they share meaningful moments or thoughts or feelings about their lives, but I have men asking to hug me and women crying and couples learning things about each other, and I'm getting chills," said Crabtree.
Crabtree said she brought this up after experiencing trauma in her life and went on a journey afterwards to find out more about herself that led her to feel a sense of freedom and peace and wanted to bring to others as well.
"This is my passion. I went from trauma to truth. I want to bring that to anybody who is curious, and I have a whole bunch of tools that people can pick from if they want to, but I don't push anything on anybody," she said.
She hopes to be able to travel with it and use it in therapy sessions as an introduction, or for team building, relationships, and more.
Crabtree shares her experiences in the Paramour Paradox, and says if anyone is curious to reach out to her for a free conversation.
