pilgrimages and creativity: story is a journey
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 12:59AM A little over a week ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem, Israel, with an incredible team including a pastor, architect, artist, and a talented filmmaker. The trip was a pilgrimage / creative trip to take in the city, it's holy sights, shoot video, make art, talk about faith, life, and share some great meals together.
One of the thoughts I have been processing after the trip has been that Jerusalem is a city like many other cities. A city with people that live everyday lives, that go to market, work, and live out their lives. The thing about Jerusalem, is that this is all set in what could be argued as the world's holiest city, and yet this everyday life happens around it every day.
Children kicking a soccer ball down the road that Christ carried his cross. Cafe's, bars, hookah shops and more surrounding places of remembrance and worship for the worlds three largest religions.
As a 'pilgrim' going to this place, I think you travel with a heightened sense of awareness to these places, and would suspect that over time spending enough time there, these holy sites would fade into everyday life.
The question I have been thinking on, is this, what really significant things have faded into the white noise of normality? What great things do I miss because I walk pass it everyday?
I believe as a story teller that uses film as my primary medium, this is a huge part of what I do. Everyday society is bombarded with information and media; and that as a part of what I do is to take people on pilgrimages, on a journey through story.
This is no easy task, nor is it have one answer, however I think that compelling stories - stories that take audiences out into a different world, or at least a familiar world with a new lens can cut through media noise and normality.
Story, like a journey, has a beginning, middle, and an end, and as a storyteller opportunity awaits to invite audiences to journey with you. To remember special, 'holy' things. This is no easy task, and gimmicks won't work. To invite people with you on a story requires equal investment, vulnerability and trust.