If you’ve read these ramblings on a regular basis, you probably know that I am a big fan of the podcast You Are A Storyteller hosted by Brian McDonald and Jesse Bryan. At first I didn’t know why it resonated with me so much, but I’ve returned to it time and time again. I’ve listened to every episode at least three times, and I’ve listened to some of my favorite episodes even more than that. I find something new and take away something different each time I listen.
After listening to it so much, reading the books that Brian has put out, and seeking out other podcasts they have been featured on, I think that I’ve come to understand that art and creativity is about telling our stories, and storytelling is about sharing our truths. We wish to connect and have others understand us. Now that’s a pretty big thing to take in, especially for those just beginning the creative journey, but I believe that we create so that we can share ourselves with others. We do that most effectively through stories.
Long before the written word, stories were told, they were sung, they we danced, they were etched into stone as a way to pass wisdom and truth from one person to another—from one generation to the next. The history of art and creativity reaches back to these ancient storytellers, but I am just starting to see what role storytelling plays in my own art as I figure out what truths I am trying to share. I keep asking myself, “What is my story? What wisdom and truth am I trying to pass on.” I think that when we consume good art, it reveals something about us, and we connect to it. It’s more than having good technical skill. It’s about having substance.