HELLO!
I’m Nereyda Martinez
Oral Storyteller
Story has always been how we make sense of the world.
Before books. Before screens. Before stages.
As an Oral Storyteller, I bring stories to life, as a bridge between the inner world and the external worlds we live in: the shared human experience. Through intentionally crafted, embodied storytelling, I create moments where people don’t just hear a story, they enter it.
My stories are here to bring us together, to move people deeply, and to uplift humanity.
Reclaiming Our Voice, One Story at a Time
Work With Me
As an Oral Storyteller, I intentionally and consciously craft stories to be shared with purpose, shaped for the audience, the moment, and the meaning that wants to be felt.
As a woman, a woman of color, and a mother, Nereyda sees storytelling as both responsibility and service. She gives voice to experiences often carried quietly, reminding audiences that being human is not something to overcome, but something to honor. Her work brings humanness into spaces that are often driven by speed, productivity, or performance - restoring depth and meaning through story.
Through intentional, embodied storytelling, Nereyda invites listeners into narratives that awaken memory, emotion, and imagination. Her stories are rooted in lived experience - motherhood, identity, lineage, joy, fear, and transformation - and are crafted to meet each audience where they are. Rather than telling people what to think, she creates space for reflection, empathy, and shared understanding.
Welcome to my storyteller’s page.
Featured Storyteller
Nereyda Martinez is an oral storyteller whose work has been featured at the
Arizona Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix Children’s Museum, and ASU Kerr Cultural Center.
Story as Medicine
I’m an Oral Storyteller because story is one of the oldest ways we heal.
It’s how we make meaning out of what we’ve lived. It’s how we remember we’re not alone.
And it’s how truth.. when spoken with tenderness, can crack something open inside of us and let us breathe again.
I value honesty, integrity, and the raw, lived experiences of being human... the full spectrum of it. My storytelling is rooted in healing: healing oneself, and healing collectively through shared stories.
It is especially important to me to give motherhood a voice.
Through my work, I bring humanness into motherhood, reminding mothers they are not alone and that their stories matter.
The Field of Dreams
Live Storytelling for Events
A live story offering for gatherings, retreats, and community spaces... raw, human, and deeply relatable. I bring a story that meets the moment and helps the room feel connected.
The Stories We Carry in Our Bodies
Workshops
Interactive, heart-led workshops where I teach storytelling as a tool for confidence, healing, and self-expression
The Truth of Who I Am
Story Craft Coaching
1:1 coaching to help you shape your lived experiences into a story you can tell.. on stage, online, or in life with structure, emotional truth, and your authentic voice leading the way.
Nereyda is a student at the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute and is earning an Academic Certificate in Applied Storytelling.
Oral storytelling is a living, embodied art form.
View More of My Work As I Tell Stories Around the World
Outgrowing What Once Fit Is Part of Becoming Who You Are
This story explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual changes that come with motherhood and life itself. If the Shoe Fits reflects on how our bodies, identities, and seasons evolve.. and how much tenderness it takes to let go of what no longer fits.
For organizations seeking impact beyond information
Book Me for Your Next Event
In a time when most of our interactions happen through screens, texts, and scrolling, oral storytelling restores something essential: human connection.
It slows us down. It brings us back into the same room, the same moment, the same breath.
Ways to Work With Me
Storytelling is personal.
Choosing to work with a storyteller can feel exciting... and unfamiliar.
Whether you’re booking me for an event, joining a workshop, or stepping into one-on-one coaching, my intention is always the same: to create a space that feels grounded, respectful, and human. You simply need curiosity and willingness.
Each experience is thoughtfully guided, intentionally paced, and shaped to meet you.. or your audience where you are. I approach every collaboration with care, preparation, and presence, so you feel supported from the very beginning.
1:1 Story Coaching
For those seeking personal or professional guidance,
I offer one-on-one coaching to support:
One-on-one story coaching is a collaborative, supportive space for anyone who feels called to share a story but isn’t sure where to begin, how to shape it, or how to tell it with confidence.
This work is both reflective and practical. Together, we explore what the story means to you, why it wants to be told, and how to honor it with clarity and integrity. Whether your goal is personal healing, professional storytelling, or preparing for a specific moment, you’re guided step by step... at your pace.
Storytelling Workshops
For those seeking connection, reflection, and shared meaning,
I offer storytelling workshops:
Designed to introduce the foundations of oral storytelling while gently guiding participants to explore their own lived experiences through story.
These workshops are reflective, inclusive, and intentionally paced.
They are not about performance or public speaking.. they are about understanding story as a human practice and learning how our experiences hold meaning, wisdom, and voice.
Workshops can be tailored for organizations, schools, teams, and community groups, and are shaped to meet the needs, themes, and comfort level of each group. Participants are invited to engage through listening, reflection, and optional sharing... always with choice and care.
Live Storytelling for Events
For those seeking an experience that brings people into presence, I offer live oral storytelling:
For events that want to create moments of connection, reflection, and shared humanity.
Each storytelling experience is intentionally crafted to align with your event’s theme, audience, and purpose. Rather than delivering information, oral storytelling invites people into an embodied experience.. one that engages imagination, emotion, and memory.
Stories can be woven into conferences, gatherings, cultural events, or educational spaces as an opening, closing, or anchoring moment.
I collaborate closely with organizers to ensure the story feels aligned, respectful, and meaningful for those in the room.
Honoring My Teacher
In Gratitude to Liz Warren and the Storytelling Institute of SMCC
I am deeply grateful to be learning under Liz Warren.. an extraordinary storyteller, educator, and steward of the oral tradition. Liz is not only a master of her craft, but a guardian of storytelling as a living, human practice.
One that carries wisdom, culture, and connection across generations.
An Invitation
More Than a Talk
An Experience in Presence, Voice, and Humanity
Storytelling is not about performance.
It’s about presence.
It’s about remembering who you are and giving voice to what has shaped you.
If you’re seeking a storyteller who brings depth, humanity, and intention into every story.. or if you’re ready to explore your own story, I would be honored to walk alongside you.
Tell Me What You’re Envisioning
Leave your details and a brief note, and I’ll be in touch to continue the conversation.
