The Creative Corner - Guest Blog #3: Shannon Haddock

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The Creative Corner - Guest Blog #3: Shannon Haddock

Michael contacted me with the theme of Creating/Making, and I thought, “Oh. I don’t do either of those things.” Yesterday, I decided to explore what it means to be considered an artist, when you feel like you’re not.

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

(And don’t worry, I’m not talking about the Christmas song.)

Sound is a very powerful thing. It surrounds us at all times, and yet how often are we paying specific attention to those sounds?

Sound can be music of course, but it can also be created by a billion other things:

  • Objects (doors closing, printers printing, squeaky floors, keyboard clicks, etc.)

  • People (unintelligible chatter, direct conversation, whispering, yelling, sneezing, etc.)

  • Actions (vehicles on the road, steam from a radiator, glass breaking, etc.)

  • Reactions (fires crackling, the frying of an egg, stomachs digesting food, etc.)

  • And more

And because of this pervasiveness of sound in our lives and its ability to recall in us specific thoughts, images, and emotions, sound is an excellent way to create an environment and to tell a story.

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A Good Story Is Everything

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Anyone who knows me well knows that - in all honesty - I’m not very good at telling stories.

Now, I’d like to qualify this a little since - yes - I’m aware that I’m making a career as both a writer and a performer, which are both types of professional storytelling. And when I can provide a narrative in such a structured, prepared, and well-crafted way, I feel totally confident delivering an engaging story.

But as for more pedestrian, real-life stories? It’s been a struggle.

It was first pointed out to me about five years ago when someone turned to me and said:

“Yeesh. I hope you’re a better writer than storyteller!”

Ouch. Harsh, Gretch.

But it was true! I have always loved telling anecdotes from life, particularly the funny or really out-there ones, but I tend to hold my tongue these days because I know that my stories tend not to land.

So I’ve worked on it. I’ve researched (cuz it’s me) how to tell a good oral story and what makes this craft different from a written story, and I think I’ve improved greatly. Huzzah!

But why am I bringing this up now?

Well, if this summer taught me one thing only (and it taught me waaaaay more than that), it’s that people of all walks of life respond to nothing as well as they respond to a good story.

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