To all the storytellers -
During the darkest times of my life it was the stories that kept me alive. Stories told through the spoken word, the written one, sung, chanted, sculpted, drawn and painted, weaving together wisdom of old, whispers of passersby, perspectives of newborn souls and the silence and gentle smiles of the ancients. The most patient thing in the world is paper, for no matter your story, you can write it down, draw it, paint it, compose it, construct it, build it, erase it, change it, report a fact, come up with work of fiction or walk the in between, sprinkle a little truth over your canvas, add a sweet tiny lie for the gusto, insert sweet little nothings or words of wisdom, simply following the strokes of your feather, pen or tool of your choice. The feather is yours and it is entirely your story to write or as the storytellers and shamans of old said: It is for you to tell the One-and-All who you are. In the beginning there was the word, spoken, stories given breath, told in oral traditions around a campfire, a hearth or in modern times in cafés around a – hopefully – giant pot of black, steaming hot coffee. Members of a people, a tribe, a family, visitors, travelers, runners and messengers would sit around the fire in a circle showing their faces and hearts openly honoring the sacred laws of hospitality and the sacred laws of the circle. The stories told were the stories of heroes and villains alike, of beings that were neither and spirits that seemed to be incomprehensible in a world ruled by duality, black and white, the sun and the moon. |
Paper and air will never say no to being the canvas to a story, so no matter the tale, speak it, write it, create it, bring it into being – dreamscape, nightmare or the in-between, a stay in paradise, a walk through the abyss or exploring the void, the choice is entirely yours alone.
As no story is experienced alone and there are others to be met, heroes, villains, mentors, students, the-in-between and passersby, each and every project and section of Animal Wisdom Speaks as well as of LearnToBloom is dedicated to one of my mentors, someone I bumped in on the way, someone I only met for a brief spell or someone I am still walking with. Be patient. A good story is a living being, breathing, growing, ever-expanding and telling it takes the time it takes. To all storytellers known or unknown, famous reading for grand audiences or at home reading for your children and grandchildren with a smile on your face – Thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me into your worlds, for allowing me to get to know you via your stories, for sharing your wisdom and for keeping the fires and the candles burning bright illuminating the pages, entrances and gates into worlds of never-ending adventures. Kristin Raphaela Otti |