"If you want to be more effective when sharing yourself and your work, you need to become a better storyteller. You need to know what a good story is and how to tell one."
Do you consider yourself a good storyteller? Admittedly, I don't think of myself as much of a storyteller, but it's an area that I like to work on. Perhaps it comes in the form of photos but also here, in the captions. All of these spaces are opportunities to tell our stories.
Austin Kleon's book Show Your Work will help you find ways to uncover your own storytelling. I always appreciate Austin's straightforward approach to writing, and these books are as clear as they come. His previous book, Steal Like An Artist, is also worth picking up if you haven't already read it.
This book, in particular, highlighted a few areas I need to continue to improve. Consider this: "By letting go of our egos and sharing our process, we allow for the possibility of people having an ongoing connection with us and our work..."
Letting go of our ego, especially when we are always on the hunt for status, can be the most challenging thing. What will others think if I post this? Why should I even bother posting this if no one cares? What if I feel posting this will make me look bad? The ego pops up in all of these questions and sits there "trying" to protect us. Even after five years of running this account, I still find these questions popping up, especially when we allow comparison to creep in!
This is a helpful book for creatives, especially when trying to figure out a path forward. I'll leave you with this one last quote: "The best way to get started on the path to sharing your work is to think about what you want to learn, and make a commitment to learning it in front of others."
In The Glass: A Brett Saison with Sour Cherries!
Are you a creative looking for more inspiration? Consider this post on Darren Hardy's The Compound Effect which looks at building in small increments to help you achieve your goals. Often distraction can be one of our biggest detractors from the creative path! Consider this post on Cal Newport's Deep Work.