What holds you back?
What holds you back from sharing your story? Not just your story, but your art or your music. Your poetry or fiction. Your beliefs or values. Really any ideas that reflect your personal experiences and require you to create something for others to receive.
A lot of times, I hold back from sharing my experiences because I'm not sure how others will take it. There’s real fear involved. It’s unpredictable how a reader will interpret my words. They could love it or hate it. They could mock it or celebrate it. My biggest worry is for someone to take my words the wrong way and misinterpret my heart. (Talk about communication pitfalls 101!) Anything we create is a small reflection of who we are, so it makes sense why any good or bad response feels so personal.
Pure storytellers share with passion and conviction. We share with honesty and integrity. Almost all of our words are personal and carefully selected.
What about as listeners or readers? When we hear or read someone else’s words, we can only take so much in. The little we do take in, we dissect, analyze, and wonder how it applies to our own lives. We take bits and pieces of a written or creative piece, and make it our own. We ask, “How does it line up with my own values or beliefs?”
I mean, that’s how the writer-reader exchange works, am I right? When we can identify with someone else’s story, we’re impacted in countless ways.
Yet, you and I both know there’s always more to the story than our interpretation of it. A lot of times we read or listen to a story and analyze it based on our own point of view rather than the writer’s point of view. Here’s a thought…what if we did more of the opposite?
This isn’t a new idea or something I’ve made up. Philosophers, writers, and professors discuss this topic all the time — the idea behind a “writer’s intention vs. a reader’s interpretation” invites us to dig a little deeper and pause to consider the author’s choices before our own.
There’s so much more to discover if we approach a written, spoken, or visual piece with willingness and curiosity. With ears that listen before we act. With eyes that see each word placement as a carefully measured choice by the writer, and a heart that appreciates the story they’re crafting as a whole.
Make me someone who reaches to the depths. Someone who is curious about the writer’s artistry and meaning before I interpret it. When I listen or watch someone share their story, may I be challenged to learn more rather than dismiss. It takes patience and wisdom. We obviously won’t get everything a writer means, but that’s the beauty in it. It’s like a mystery wanting to be solved.
If we can be this kind of audience for storytellers, then I believe more of us storytellers will be compelled to share to this kind of audience. What a unique relationship we get to be in! The blissful dance between the one creating something and the one receiving. The music is discovering the other’s intention.
I share this for myself and for other creators as well. I share this for readers who dream to share and listeners who love to listen. Instead of holding back from sharing our stories, may we wonder even more, what story am I eager to tell?
Link for essay quoted above:
Writer intention vs. Reader Interpretation