I’m a big fan of Netflix. I’m always looking for TV series to get stuck into and, a couple of weeks ago, on a whim I decided to start watching RuPaul’s Drag Race.
I was soon hooked on the format – The Apprentice for drag queens – and found myself in awe of the transformation these guys went through and what a high art drag is when it’s done to this level of perfection. But more than that, I was touched by their stories. Even the bitchiest queens had back stories that inevitably involved bullying and feeling like an outsider.
One burst into tears when he thought he faced elimination and confessed that he found rejection so hard because he was abandoned at a bus top by his birth mother at the age of three – and he’d never, until that moment, cried about it.
I shed a few tears too, as did RuPaul and the other judges. The contestant went through to the next round, feeling empowered by this demonstration of vulnerability and truth.
It was yet another reminder of the power of sharing your story.
We don’t all have such high drama or trauma in our lives but we have all faced challenges that we have learned from. And that can provide the raw material for stories we can tell that promote our creative work – stories that illustrate why we do what we do.
At the recent launch of our community for creatives – Trailblazer Tribe Live – our three guest storytellers were shining examples of the art of authentic storytelling.
Lisa Bretherick (right) spoke touchingly about how the break-up of a relationship helped her become more authentic as a photographer.
Artist Pearl Bates had the courage to talk about her difficult teenage years and how she evolved as an artist by finding inspiration in powerful women like Elizabeth I.
And positive psychologist and fashionista Rebecca Weef Smith (below) took us on a journey from the shy young girl who found solace in her collection of shiny shoes to the academic who hid behind her research, to the confident woman who understood the difference between showing off and showing up and used her Trailblazer Tribe Archetypes to create a meaningful brand.
In all three instances we the audience felt connected to and inspired by these stories which gave more depth and meaning to the storytellers’ creative work.
Now I’m going back to watch the next season of Drag Race to be moved by the power of story and the joy of full creative expression.
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