Finding Your Creative Voice via Ira Glass

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The beauty of becoming a creative professional goes hand in hand with the struggle to find yourself in the process, to make something that speaks to others while revealing the true essence of your own story. This dichotomy can at times cloud your vision, but there is a way through the fog, a path that will ultimately serve your purpose and find an audience.

Fujifilm’s Create Forever project shares impactful stories of individuals who have been, and continue to be, on their creative journey. As a long time fan of Ira Glass and his storytelling sorcery, this was an interview I was eager to see. The video, produced by Muse Storytelling, adds a second layer of meaning with a visual framework that add relevance to Ira’s story.

I think it’s a good target, to invent the thing that’s gonna be exactly right for you. – Ira Glass

Having listened to every episode of This American Life over the past quarter century, there was a surprising moment in the interview that resonated with me. It’s when Ira expressed his original desire to document the stories of everyday people, people who aren’t in the news, as opposed to chasing after famous people like paparazzi, which is too often the strategy.

It’s the reason that I decided to organize TEDx events, to bring voices out into the open that the public was not aware of, and it’s also the reason I’m now coaching speakers to craft their personal narratives. The importance of everyday stories cannot be understated.

But the main focus of this interview was to highlight the challenge of finding your creative voice, to figure out what you love most, and how to express it through your career. But it doesn’t stop with vision or direction, it takes a level of commitment, of diligence to mastering the craft in order to achieve your goals and reach an audience.

If you’re a creative of any discipline, but especially if you’re a storyteller, take a moment to watch Ira’s interview, then examine the path – professional or passionate – that you’re in the process of forging. Think about your deepest desires and consider how you can invent the one thing that is exactly right for you.

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Mark Lovett Podcast Appearances

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If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m a huge fan of podcasts. Starting with my first listen of This American Life back in 1995 I’ve been hooked. It reminded me of being 10 years old, when my mom would send me to bed on a school night and I would pull out my AM radio, plug in the single ear piece, and listen intently to The New Adventures of Sherlock Homes.

The process of the narrator’s voice painting pictures – movies actually – in my mind was as magical then as it is now. It’s no surprise that I enjoy appearing on podcasts to talk about the impact that storytelling can have on us. Here’s a few of my most recent podcast adventures.

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A Remarkable Life Story – Tess Vigeland at World Domination Summit 2013

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I think it’s safe to say that deep down, we all want to live a remarkable life. One that is both rewarding on the inside, and garners respect on the outside. But what happens when our life story takes us to that place, and we’re living the dream, yet know that it’s time to move on, time to sever the ties that have served us so well, and take a brave leap into the unknown?

Tess Vigeland was at the peak of her career, and so well known as the host of Marketplace Money that people on the street would recognize her voice. But as you’ll hear in her talk at the 2013 World Domination Summit, Tess had been unhappy for a while, having become bored with the repetition of reporting on the world of finance. As much as she loved the people and position, in the end she had to go because she had too much self-respect to stay.

For some reason, the WDS videos were deleted from Vimeo,
but maybe they will reappear at some point in the future.

Have you ever been in a similar situation, when you knew it was time to jump without a net? Did it feel like you needed to close one chapter in order to being writing the next one? I’ve been feeling that way lately, and am contemplating a big leap, one that would take me across an ocean. I’m not sure when or where, or even how, but I’ve been gaining clarity on the why. (more on that in due time, once I’ve figured out a few more things and feel I’m ready to leap)

There’s a point in Tess’ story where it seems that everything is going to work out fine, a classic storybook ending, but her journey takes a turn onto a rocky, and uncertain road. To her credit, and what’s makes this talk so powerful, is her vulnerability, her facing up to self doubt and uncertainty, to admitting that she was no longer feeling remarkable.

At one point she states, “It has been terrifying, it has been awful, it has been heartbreaking.” Not the sort of thing that one usually admits to on stage, but in doing so Tess provides the audience with a stark dose of reality. Sometimes taking a leap of faith is not the rewarding experience that we hoped for, but if our desire is to lead a remarkable life, a few bumps and bruises may come our way in the process. And in the end, it’s worth it.

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