Telling Your Story

The urge to be creative is something most of us have. Some people can't ignore it, and their passion to express it often drives them to great accomplishments. All creativity is in essence some form of expression, be it scientific, artistic, logical or emotional. And at the root of expression is communication.

We have many means to communicate through all five senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing and touch. Innumerable fields of creativity have developed around each one: dance, music, speech, theater, movies, books, history, art, science, cuisine, design, scents, fashion....

Speech is something our ancestors have used since before record keeping began, probably even for around a million years. There are known to be rock paintings as early as 40,000 years ago. Symbols were used to communicate until gradually writing, more as we know it today, began to develop relatively recently from around 4000 BC.

Writing allows us to communicate both to ourselves and with others. Through it we can speak to people in distant places and even times. The written word connects us with the thoughts of others. My grandfather recorded part of his life history on audio tape. I'm transcribing the tapes, and listening to his voice brings his physical person back to me as though I can see him sitting talking to me, telling me stories, as he used to when I was a teenager. I knew him well and loved him dearly. Listening now to his tapes and his story are enabling me to know him better. I'm grateful to have this opportunity.

Everyone has a story, be it short or long, to tell. Did you ever ask someone you know if you could record them telling their story? Or have you ever been drawn to tell a story, any story, yourself, or to express some idea? Picking up a pen or a microphone could get you started on an adventure.