I sincerely hope that by the time this posts in December, that my blob of pony has sprung to life and now we’re racing and roaring, writing and drawing, and making things happen. I am cautiously optimistic.
The timing is perfect, because here we are at the end of the year: the right time for reflecting and planning. It’s time to close the chapter on what was and turn the page to something new.
Reflecting and planning are very important steps in living well. All of us, creatives included, like to think that the work we give to the world will add meaning and value. Most people who likely don’t consider themselves “creative” are out there daily building a arranging and maintaining and figuring things out in order to make life flow and work smoothly for their families and communities. Creativity is built into all of us, it just gets expressed differently in different people.
Regardless, every one of us wants to know that all of our toil and effort means something, that it makes a difference, and that the world is a little bit better because we’re out there doing it.
The world is a hot mess. We spend our days trying to make it all work out, with no guarantee that it will. We can do everything right and still it turns out all wrong. Some people spend a lifetime chasing a dream, only to find out that it was meaningless and empty. Some people sail through with nary a worry and find favor and success in all they put their hands to …
All of us end up with our own stories to tell. We like to tell those stories, and we like to hear other people’s stories, too. We compare notes with one another … the failing ones want to find out what they’re doing wrong. The succeeding ones are eager to share what they’re doing right. The confused and fumbling ones are just relieved to find out they’re not the only ones struggling.
So we tell and swap our stories, and by doing so we find comfort, validation, community and inspiration to keep going forward no matter what. Sometimes stories are too interesting, important, tragic or moving to only be shared over a cup of coffee between friends. Those stories need a wider audience. So the creatives show up to paint and write music and lyrics, and books and movies and documentaries …. art is all about storytelling, because our stories help us understand the meaning of it all and our own particular roles in the world.
Storytelling is powerful and profound.
Through storytelling, we can teach, warn, and inspire.
Storytelling exposes problems and reveals solutions.
Storytelling can alter individuals and whole societies and cultures.
It’s no wonder we’re all so addicted to our phones and gadgets … we’re watching, reading and listening to all the stories!