Due to my shy and introverted nature, I have never had an opportunity to act or express myself in front of many people. In fact, I have always had a hard time speaking with people when meeting them.
However, with time, you get used to the feeling a little bit. Not entirely, but just a bit. Sometimes, even that bit is enough to make a move towards strangers.
When I was younger, I tried to push myself to talk to random people who were in the same place as me. This encouraged me and showed me that they are also just a bunch of people, much like I am.
Although, no matter how I worked on that difficult aspect of my character, describing my thoughts and feelings on paper was always a better approach. The good thing is, I didn’t know that writing and reading were helping me become more extroverted, even though they seem to be on opposite ends of the scale.
Just as I have mentioned in my articles many times, the core of humanity is curiosity, and it brings the urge for storytelling within us. Whether we do it orally, visually, or through writing, it gives us the energy to tell more stories.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
If I were to consider these three storytelling approaches, I could say that I am somewhat okay at doing it through writing. Because it gives you the time to think about what you write. You can always rewrite your sentences and rethink your thoughts to make your explanations or descriptions clearer.
Orally, it is a bit difficult when compared to writing because you have less time to make a move. Once you say a wrong word, you might need even more words to reset the whole conversation to the starting point. So, your brain needs to work even faster to cope with self-expression. Therefore, sometimes we stutter or can’t find the exact words, especially when speaking in another language. This happens to me every now and then, even though I feel more relaxed (in English) while doing so.
The last approach is visual storytelling. Surely, it includes gestures and facial expressions while you speak. It gives others a clearer idea of the emotion because words might not convey it all the time. So, the tone of your voice, the way you say the words with your body or a unique move that you make can enhance your communication skills.
Now, I would like to talk on that approach a bit more. What exactly comes to your mind when you hear the word “visual storytelling”? Perhaps movies or theater plays? Well, movies, even though you have to act and showcase your skills, can be edited in many shots. Meanwhile, a theater play has to be live and in the moment. But even then, you have a story to tell in your hands, and you need to memorize or maybe improvise at the moment. I think the last part is the real challenge — the instantaneous act.
Photo by Mark Williams on Unsplash
I always find myself acting silly or imitating something when I am alone. Honestly, I am pretty sure many people tend to do the same. Some love it and become a part of the stage within them, practicing the talents they have. I had a similar urge when I was in university, but due to some issues, I never had a chance to do it regularly. However, I knew that deep inside me, I would like to perform my story (whether scripted or not).
Playing games among friends, — like tabletop games — works very well to shed that shyness from your shoulders, if you ask me. Especially if you have to pretend to be a fantasy character, imitate some funny sounds or go with the flow of others’ stories. It gives you the vibe of being on the stage, even though there is no audience.
However, when strangers are watching you, it might be challenging. Recently, I was in a show that was completely improvised on stage, unscripted, and created on the spot while acting. That was my first experience watching such a performance live because I had always held a prejudice for some reason. I didn’t know the exact reason, but I believe it was related to the first phrase of this article. Maybe I was simply jealous of their relaxed attitudes while performing; I’m not sure.
After some time, the actors invited us to participate in the play that was unfolding randomly. I was creating stories in my mind in this ongoing play and looking for a suitable chance to get involved. Finally, I found the courage to participate, even though it was a small role in the final part. I knew I wanted to do it, and there was no shame in delivering a less than perfect performance. With these thoughts in mind, I jumped onto the stage and did it. Interestingly, I felt no shame, a bit of nervousness, but mostly excitement. It was a fantastic experience, and I felt content.
The key point of the last part was that everything had to be live, unscripted, witty, and quick. Writing, speaking, or even acting in theatre couldn’t offer such an opportunity. You had to craft the story in your mind at that very moment (the play was in English), explain it well, and act within the character you had created as convincingly as possible. It was like juggling; you had to control them all at once. That made me excited.
Needless to say, my prejudice had completely vanished even before I joined the play, but this experience was the cherry on top. I’m looking forward to going there once again. In fact, it has given me the motivation to create more stories because, once again, I had the joy of storytelling in my heart
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