A few weeks ago, I went to hear Etgar Keret give a talk. It’s rare to find a great writer who’s just as great a storyteller. Really, they are very different activities and require very different skills. Often times, I hear writers speak and just want them to stop talking so I can go away and read their work. Not so with Etgar. He had us laughing, crying and all in between.
And when I went to speak to him and ask him to sign my book (yes a true fangirl!), he was absolutely charming. He sat on the edge of the stage, cross legged and patiently spoke to the long line of people who wanted a quiet word.
He spoke of his journey as a writer. From a young man who couldn’t quite find his way, not being good at particularly anything. And how he felt when his first story was read, and people began to notice that he had a rare talent.
He told of that feeling when you write and you don’t quite know what is going to emerge, like it takes on a life of its own and a direction that often even he doesn’t expect. It was fascinating. And somewhat familiar. You know that feeling when you feel drawn to create something, or to do something and you don’t quite know what’s going to be the outcome.
It reminds me of our journey as business owners. I, for one, was not born with the desire to be an entrepreneur. I don’t think I even knew what that was for many years. I just wanted a good job and a decent career.
And then life got in the way. I worked in corporates but didn’t want to have someone else raise my kids. I needed to create something that would support my need to be with my family, rather than mold my family around my career needs.
So, I started looking for something.
And spent years trying to figure out that beautiful blend of passion, talent and market need.
I consider myself very lucky. I work hard. I have goals and targets. I design and deliver stuff that people want. And I mostly love what I do. That’s a lot!
But here’s the thing, Etgar’s amazing talk awoke something in me. The desire to dive into creativity. To birth something extraordinary and beautiful. And it’s left me intrigued, fairly clueless but motivated to begin to write again.
I’m sharing this with you because I think this is what we are here to do. Yes, run a business, create revenue and do great work…
But also to remember our raw creative desire. Our passion. To get lost in the abyss of our soul’s desire. How fun would that be now and then?
So, what is it that calls you?
I’d love to hear.
I think of the Irish story of The Stolen Bairn. The people of the Sidh have stolen a mother’s child. Everyone tells her it’s hopeless . These fairy people will not give up what they have taken. But she refuses to give up. She remembers that the old stories tell that only something unique and marvelous will do in trade. She needs one thing to get into the fairy realm, and another to trade for he baby and to get out. It cannot be things that already exist. Without telling the tale, she fashions a luminous cape using eider down and her own hair. She uses her own hair again to create a harp whose music enchants the fairies. As the story lands for me… we must fashion our creations from our own essence. Nothing else will really do. I’m looking forward to your extraordinary and beautiful writing to come!