Practicing Storyteller
It recently occurred to me that I will not ever be a mechanic. Or a viola player. Or an accountant. Or an engineer. Or a clown. I’m 100% okay with the clown thing, but the rest? I think it would be interesting to learn more about so many things. But unless I figure out how to live 500 lifetimes, I don’t foresee diesel mechanic happening any time soon.
Life is full of decisions. Our resources are limited, so when we put time and energy toward one venture, we are by definition saying no to other options. This is something that I struggle with every day. Sure, I’m enjoying the challenges I’ve set forth for myself, but I still spend more time than I should reading about technology trends in recruiting, interacting with HR people on social media and cruising LinkedIn job postings wondering if I’ve made the right decision.
The further away I get from HR, the less likely I’d be able to make a smooth transition back to a recruiter role, even if I wanted. Or at the very least I’d have to take a step or two down the corporate ladder from where I was in February. This is a wholly unappealing idea, but it’s also scary to let go of a large part of my identity over the last decade plus. This fear has led me to continue to explore part-time trainer and contract recruiter jobs even though it’s not what I want to do. I keep thinking it’s prudent to keep one foot in that world just in case I need to fall back on it.
As I contemplate all the things I’ll never be—race car driver, furniture maker, veterinarian—I realize I’ve not fully committed to storyteller either. With one foot in my old profession, I’ve failed to fully commit to my new one. Hedging my bet isn’t prudent when betting on myself. It’s essentially giving myself an excuse to fail.
If I really want to give it my all, I need to decide a) I have no option but to be successful, b) there’s no turning back, c) put in the work every single day. If I’m writing, I’m a storyteller by default. I may or may not be a good storyteller, but that’s no different than any other profession. Just like the old joke says, “what do you call the doctor who graduated last in his class? Doctor.”
Going forward, when someone asks me what I do, I’m not going to go into a long explanation of my career transition. Instead, I’m going to say, I’m a writer and storyteller; I work with individuals, businesses and nonprofits to tell their stories both in writing and on video. Period. No further clarification or convincing anybody of my credentials—not even me.
There is no bar or board or certification necessary to be a storyteller, only doing. And just like medicine and law, writing is a practice. Hell, every job should be viewed as a practice, constantly improving and learning from each experience. I’m hoping Blogtober (31 days and 31 blogs in October) will help me get into a habit of practicing every day. Practice won’t make perfect, but maybe it’ll help me be more confident in saying, “I’m Mollie Bentley, practicing storyteller”
