I apologize for the brief digression of self-referentiality, but I am very happy for the publication of my short essay on the National Storytelling Network's Magazine:
THE WRITER AND THE STORYTELLER
By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher
The writer and the storyteller should not be addicted to anyone.
What we create, if we want to share it, is for everyone.
Indeed, for whom among them, even just one person, will accept it.
Who has something to share should not be addicted to people.
I am talking about admiring looks, appreciative comments, Facebook's Likes and Twitter followers, more or less influential quotations, number of website visits.
In brief, popularity.
That is what makes our words weak, and so us.
I know that this cannot diminish our desire to see our things read, watched, listen, and especially loved.
That wish is human.
It should not erase the alive dream of our imagination, enjoying the richness of the best time giving life to the stories we write or tell.
However, the mere need that must move our acting, painting, telling, playing, singing and writing have to be just doing it and nothing else: Art for art's sake.
Sharing outside our own room, via blogs, videos, live shows and storytelling, even sending work to a publisher, is justified if and only if we are completely sure we have pulled out something that deserves to be read, seen or heard.
Looking for ears and eyes at any time, as soon as possible, following praises, applauses and success, is wrong.
We should not look for success at all.
Singers, actors, writers, storytellers, artists in general, do not have to work for the success.
That is the seller.
At the end of the year, he is the one who must check the numbers, counting the sales, receipts and losses, taking care of marketing and the brand.
In my humble opinion, the truth is that who create stories should struggle to listen, not to say.
If we have to tell something, it should come from what we heard, that has invaded us, moving us to share with others in the new form.
Nevertheless, listening needs good silence, careful attention, wide open eyes and ears.
The land of opportunity is here, now, linking words, images and so on, having the time to do it.
The dream is here, today and is working to create a beautiful story, another one, until the breath allows it.
Then, if the story will worth the trip, put it in a bottle and throw it into the sea.
Or the web.
Forgetting all, a moment later we should begin to work on something new.
Because in the land of opportunity there is always someone who might find your story.
Dedicated to Enrique Páez and Beatriz Montero
Storytelling with subtitles
Also on Stories and News:
THE WRITER AND THE STORYTELLER
By Alessandro Ghebreigziabiher
The writer and the storyteller should not be addicted to anyone.
What we create, if we want to share it, is for everyone.
Indeed, for whom among them, even just one person, will accept it.
Who has something to share should not be addicted to people.
I am talking about admiring looks, appreciative comments, Facebook's Likes and Twitter followers, more or less influential quotations, number of website visits.
In brief, popularity.
That is what makes our words weak, and so us.
I know that this cannot diminish our desire to see our things read, watched, listen, and especially loved.
That wish is human.
It should not erase the alive dream of our imagination, enjoying the richness of the best time giving life to the stories we write or tell.
However, the mere need that must move our acting, painting, telling, playing, singing and writing have to be just doing it and nothing else: Art for art's sake.
Sharing outside our own room, via blogs, videos, live shows and storytelling, even sending work to a publisher, is justified if and only if we are completely sure we have pulled out something that deserves to be read, seen or heard.
Looking for ears and eyes at any time, as soon as possible, following praises, applauses and success, is wrong.
We should not look for success at all.
Singers, actors, writers, storytellers, artists in general, do not have to work for the success.
That is the seller.
At the end of the year, he is the one who must check the numbers, counting the sales, receipts and losses, taking care of marketing and the brand.
In my humble opinion, the truth is that who create stories should struggle to listen, not to say.
If we have to tell something, it should come from what we heard, that has invaded us, moving us to share with others in the new form.
Nevertheless, listening needs good silence, careful attention, wide open eyes and ears.
The land of opportunity is here, now, linking words, images and so on, having the time to do it.
The dream is here, today and is working to create a beautiful story, another one, until the breath allows it.
Then, if the story will worth the trip, put it in a bottle and throw it into the sea.
Or the web.
Forgetting all, a moment later we should begin to work on something new.
Because in the land of opportunity there is always someone who might find your story.
Dedicated to Enrique Páez and Beatriz Montero
Storytelling with subtitles
Also on Stories and News: