Your life is a story. Being a story, your life is made up of many chapters, and what you create and produce today may be influenced by these early chapters. The first chapters were written before you were born and continued into your life. These early chapters were written by people and events other than you. For the most part, these early chapters were authored by your parents, regardless of their situation. If they were together, separated divorced, or never together at all, they still, at times unknowingly, were in control of the narrative of these chapters of your life.
They were also authored or co-authored by siblings, relatives, neighbors, teachers, clergy, friends, and on and on.
They authored these chapters based upon their conditions, lifestyle, history, and many other factors that were unknown to you. In addition, they set the stage regarding how you would live your life. Their control would also influence your diet, your beliefs, your attitude and almost everything about your personality.
At some point in your life, you may have taken over writing these chapters. You began your own rituals, diet, beliefs, etc. etc. You began to live your own life.
But did you? Did you truly author these new chapters or were they under the influence of the original authors? Do early chapters in your story affect or influence the work you do now? If you are a creative person, does your work reflect the authentic you, or is it you under the influence of the early chapters of your life? If your work is under previous influences, are you happy with this, or is there an internal struggle? Is the “True” you trying to get out from the restraints of the original authors?
So many times, a creative person will struggle with their work for this reason. They find it almost impossible to speak of their work because of the pain associated with it. There is no wonder, this is not the real you.
In so many stories that we grew up with that were read to us or that we may have watched at the movies, we see the typical story line. The introduction of the characters, the hero begins a quest, runs into a dragon (any kind of trouble) almost dies only to finally slay the dragon, saves another character and off they go into peace and happiness.
We all have these dragons in life. They were introduced to us sometime during the early chapters of our lives. Of course, these are not real fire breathing animals that creep up on us at nighttime. But they are the memories of negative events in our early chapters and how we were taught to deal with them. If not properly “Slain” these dragons will haunt us for our entire life and influence everything we do, including writing the chapters for our own children, and our relationships with all others.
When will you take control of your own chapters, or have you already? Do you write these chapters without the influence of previous ones? It is very hard to do, but unless and until we do it, we will constantly be revisited by our dragons. They never go away, yet if we silence the history and write from our own wishes and desires, the dragons, while still roaming around, will only attempt to visit only to be stopped by our own true selves.
Is it too hard to think about and talk about your work because of these earlier chapters? If so, then an inaccurate story of your work will be exposed, if any at all. Your viewers deserve to know the story of you and your work.
I would never suggest that you forget your past, on the contrary, know it intimately and decide if this is your current self, or if it is the persona that you have in memories, but not your present reality. Certainly, you have accomplished something in your life that you have full responsibility for that is not under the influence of your previous chapters.
Keep these initial chapters, know them, and especially note how they have molded you into your new persona. Take the credit you deserve for what the present “you” has created, not the guilt of what someone else wrote.
In “The Legend of Bagger Vance” , by Steven Pressfield, there is a scene where Bagger Vance is telling Juuah (A golf star, suffering from PTSD after WWl)who has lost his talent and will to play golf again, that everyone comes into this world with their own “Authentic Swing”, you just have to find yours. It’s there, you just have to find it or you will never play golf again. (I highly recommend the book or the movie that was made, and no, it is not a golf movie, read about it or contact me).
If you do not come to terms with the true, authentic you and YOUR reason for creating what you do, then you will never be truly satisfied with the results, and you will never be able to share the inspiration for this work without you taking yourself and your viewers into the depths of your early chapters, or your trauma, torment, and depression.
I would never say to forget it and wash it away as if it did not happen. I am suggesting that there is a way to discuss it along with your redemption, in a manner that you and your listeners will be comfortable and rewarded, and without forgetting how you got here.
Here is how’ fineartofstorytelling.com/programs