Be Quiet
You cannot breathe out unless you have breathed in. The light follows the darkness. You cannot wake unless you have slept.
Storytellers, teachers, preachers, parents often forget (myself included) that silence is the place where the story lands. Talking talking talking – no matter how magical, powerful, rich and fascinating – will become only noise unless you allow space for the words to fully integrate and become a part of the listener. This only happens in silence.
These moments of silence must exist throughout the story. At the end of important moments. In the middle of important moments. In – between – words. Whenever you are quiet and still, you are allowing what has been said – all the images that have been created in their minds – to become solid and enduring. Without the pause, the moment of silence – those words and images become like a long line at the amusement park or a bag full of altoids – just too much.
So breath in, take a drink, look around, scratch your head and
be
quiet.
About the Author
David Sewell McCann
David Sewell McCann fell in love with spinning stories in first grade – the day a storyteller came to his class and captured his mind and imagination. He has been engaged in storytelling all of his adult life through painting, film-making, teaching and performing. Out of his experience as a Waldorf elementary class teacher and parent, he has developed a four step method of intuitive storytelling, which he now shares through workshops and through this website.
