The Art of Storytelling

Imagine the first story. Was it told around the fireside, with smoke dimming the flame-lit faces of an eager circle of listeners? Was it about the hunt, the kill, the tracking of the enemy, or the discovery of a cache of furs that would warm a struggling tribe through the winter? Was it a history of parentage passed from mother to child, a genealogy woven of words or a poem recording the passing seasons?

The stories within us have roots in an ancient and worthy past, a hidden history etched in chromosomes and individual cells, the heritage passed down from ancestors through blood and brain and breath - as elemental as the earth, as glorious as a fall of meteors. Yet, these stories will die, unwritten and unread, unless we allow our creativity some air, some space, some breathing room.

Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, said, “No matter what your age or your life path, whether making art is your career or your hobby or your dream, it is not too late or too egotistical or too selfish or too silly to work on your creativity.”

Creativity is the wellspring of storytelling. We feed it when we use it. We use it when we tell a friend about our day, when we play hide-and-seek with the neighborhood kids, when we scribble in our journal…or, write a story.

Every story is about a hero or heroine overcoming hidden flaws in pursuit of the brass ring. In A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise discovers that he is not the slick operator he thinks he is, but a legal shyster, who has failed to exercise the courage to stand up for what he believes. In Erin Brockovitch, Julia Roberts learns that beauty alone does not make a firm foundation for an abundant or happy life. In Galaxy Quest, Tim Allan realizes that he is a fraud, a papier-mâché hero that everyone laughs at behind his back.

With these painful realizations comes the opportunity to deny or embrace truth, and thus either to continue to make the same mistakes or exercise the courage to change.

Tom Cruise chooses to become a man and stand-up for what he believes. Julia Roberts learns to fight for those that can’t fight for themselves. Tim Allan finds that, beneath his façade of fakery, is a foundation of leadership that guides his crew safely home.

So, take your hero, discover his flaw and make him face it. Add the kind of creative voice that attracted you as a child and watch your tale take flight. Storytelling can be plain or flowery, direct or twisted, but as long as it is true to your heart, your mind and your heritage, it will enthrall and entertain!