Right now, I’m working on being a better storyteller. Not just in writing or on video or on stage, but in casual conversations. Not over-rehearsed, canned anecdotes, but spontaneous stories over dinner that pull people into another moment.
While I love my role as a storyteller, the truth is, I am a lot more comfortable with preparing stories for stage or screen than these more organic settings.
I think I’ve always been a bit overly conscious about monopolizing a conversation or coming across like a showboat.
I’ve been on some pretty incredible trips, meeting people and having my mind blown by some encounters, only to return home to say very little about the experience to friends and family. I’ll anticipate how to tell these stories on screen or stage but in person? I’ve often just said, ‘yeah, it was a really good trip,’ and leaving it there.
But all the reasons I think storytelling is important apply just as much to the casual conversation as they do to the big stage. And I love hearing people talk about things that light them up.
So I’m hoping to get more comfy with telling stories from one person to another.
Tell stories from the ego, and you shut people off.
Tell stories from the heart, and people connect.
