Storytelling is one of the most intimate forms of communication. Whether that story is fact from your life or fiction that you have created, sharing it with others allows them to connect with you on another level. Opening yourself to someone like that, takes personal growth, acceptance and vulnerability. You’re the only one who can truly tell these stories.
You also get to choose how and if you tell your story. You can share it with others just by word of mouth or you can publish it. Maybe you want to share it on a podcast or develop it into something bigger, like a comedy bit or a fictional literary piece. However, you share it, your main goal should be that it helps you feel more fulfilled and gives you release of any creative energy.
The writing community can be a place of support. When I started my writing career, this community welcomed me and helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. I learn new things every day from this community that I am forever grateful for. Whenever possible, I try and pass on what I have learned from my own experiences and from what others have taught me. I am not a pro, no one is. I make mistakes, I learn from them and I allow myself to just watch and learn from people who have been doing this longer than me. I take parts of what they give me and apply it in my own way. Not only am I growing as a writer, but as a person by listening to advice of others.
Almost 4 years ago, I wrote a book, Dear Anxiety. I was asked early on why I have not chosen to find a publisher. Right now, my personal preference is to try and distribute it on my own. Hand delivering it to others allows me to form an intimate connection with them. Maybe in the future, I will have a publisher help me distribute my books. In the art world, our support systems are quick to tell us how they think we should handle getting exposure for our pieces. The art of the creative process is us being able to control when and how we want our art to be released. Not every method works for everyone. We all have our own ways to create. How we choose to put our work out there it shouldn’t matter; we should just put it out there the best way we can.
Sometimes, pressure from others makes us more hesitant to share our work. Then we lose the desire to share our art because people are analyzing us before they’ve even experienced our work, we become guarded. Own your story, it’s yours. Tell it how you wish. If you don’t share your story, you could be missing an opportunity to make a big impact on your life along with someone else’s. You can use your work to inspire others to share theirs. That’s a beautiful thing.
