Five Reasons Why I Will Keep Being a Storyteller

Maybe, at some point in history, the question must have arisen among my family members: when will Jhohann get over the story-telling thing and dedicate himself to something serious? It has never been said directly because we have always respected the free desire to do and decide, but I have my suspicions. On the other hand, I have received similar questions from other people who, gaining confidence, dare to say something similar to: "and besides telling stories, what else do you do?". Beautiful question! That is why I give these five reasons why I will continue to be a storyteller. Warning: the order in which I present them never refers to their level of importance, it is rather an inventory.

Number one. I will continue to be a storyteller because I am fascinated by the purpose of making another person imagine a world different from the one we live in every day. Furthermore, the possibility of configuring a plot and communicating it with no other device than the spoken word and the body is constant proof of the creative and collective miracle. The act itself is wonderful: a guy who tells, someone who listens and sees; both moved by the dimension of what was imagined. Behind this, the hidden prize of my argument arises for me: telling stories gives me the possibility of meeting the other, of weaving a bond and an exchange arises where my knowledge of other realities expands. That is to say, the story allows me to be in front of people from different socioeconomic, cultural, religious and political situations, because it provides a neutral space for interaction that finds us and takes us to the primal aspect of our species: the love of stories. I have counted in prisons, government buildings, schools, universities, companies, parks, bars, hospitals... Counting has allowed me to fragment the borders that society weaves, that set of relationships; and with this I have managed to maintain my status as outsider, as a passer-by of the invisible thresholds that are, at the same time, so solid.

Number two. I will continue being a storyteller because it seems foolish to dedicate my life to something other than what I love, because I value the fact of working on what I like. Given our ephemeral existence, what else can justify life but the constant search to do what you please? Of course, a clarification is worth noting for this purpose: always do what you love without stepping over anyone. Now, this position requires solving a fundamental question: what fills you and how to find that? This deserves stopping.

I will never forget the time a man approached me to inquire about identifying personal purpose. We had finished an event related to the sales force of a company and the man approached me and said: "How did you find what you like so much and start doing it?" I confess that I was unable to give you an accurate answer. The man was about fifty years old or more and I was shocked by his question because I found the approach painful at his age. Now I think that I should have been cruel and frank, telling him that the only way was to search his soul, searching here and there, without rest, without stopping, even if it hurts. And on that path, at some point, he would find a clue and then he would be left with the responsibility of pursuing it until death**. I even had to challenge him and ask him: how did he intend to sell effectively if that was not his passion? You sell if you love to sell. The other way is to get them to buy what you love and that is another strategy, because there is not the purpose of the sale but your passion generating the desire. I could tell you more about this at another time.

Number three. I will continue to be a storyteller because humans are ephemeral, stories are not. At some point I will leave this life and the only thing that may have the possibility of lasting a little longer will be the set of stories that I have told, written and given to humanity. Of course, perhaps what I call humanity is just my family and friends, but if I manage to leave a useful message and for it to last, existence will have made more sense. For now I retain the honor and the prize of having served as a pretext for couples who have fallen in love in the middle of our functions and who have later had children: could this be another way of lasting in other people's family stories? I do not hope to insert my work into the Spanish-speaking cultural memory, because that costs a lot and entails talent and some luck; In my case and on both aspects I have certain doubts. Of course, if I get to be seen by millions, in multiple languages ​​and present my stories to thousands, I will celebrate having been honest with what I do and think, perhaps helping to make this world better from what I am.

Number four. I will continue to be a storyteller because each story is a new journey, it is a discovery. The amazement that comes with a new story, a new trap conceived or discovered, keeps me alive and alert. It is delicious to take a tour of the events, feel and vibrate. In part, the reason why I am a storyteller is tied to the emotion I feel as an audience and reader. Maybe that's why I ended up studying Literature and not theater, although I ended up approaching the latter as a consequence. In literature, as I sharpened my eye, I found a wide range of stories conceived by our species. Of course, studying History was another option; However, is history not another form of literature? At least if from the perspective of the fictional artifact. The discussion about this is long and I already left part of it in the text: The purposes of representation.

Number five. I will continue to be a storyteller because art liberates. Clearly today we know the approach that has been given to psychology where artistic interventions are considered as strategies for intervention. In fact, we use the art of counting within companies, where we weave work with other professionals who generate the necessary link for the teams to work much better. It is better to invest in the well-being of a team than to leave it adrift. If a group of people works well, it generates better results and, consequently, everything translates into money. They will say, perhaps, that it is a utilitarian and capitalist goal; I believe that this is a notable advance in the areas of Human Talent. If an employee is emotionally well and remains active, they will consequently be happier and this will be reflected in their effectiveness. Today we talk about "story therapy", "laughter therapy", "art therapy"; all these neologisms to say, in short, that art nourishes the processes of people in their environments in a more effective way. And if it works on teams, how can it not work on yourself? In my case and defense I will say that yes, this has saved me, it has allowed me to go through who I am and endure the change of the years, it has allowed me to stand in front of the mirror and move forward.

Currently we carry out interventions in companies and we are accompanied by psychology professionals, making a wonderful mix that bears fruit within the teams. So, we return to the same thing: how wonderful to be a storyteller, to work on what you love, to connect with others and to serve from what you do! If you want to know a little more about the work we do in companies, we invite you to contact us.