Din cand in cand, am parte de niste experiente atat de misto incat am impresia ca am descoperit focul si, pornind de la entuziasmul asta, incep sa-mi construiesc in cap diverse scenarii dubioase… Toate pe aceleasi tipar: eu ajung cumva intr-o pozitie smechera, astfel incat sa-mi permit sa dau ordine prin care acele experiente devin obligatorii pentru absolut toata lumea care lucreaza in domeniu. Sa se studieze la facultate, ca sa stie toti ceea ce stiu si eu. Si uite asa mi-am facut in capul meu (bolnav) ditamai lista pentru o programa obligatorie.
Sa va dau un exemplu: i-as forta pe toti cei care lucreaza in industria muzicala romaneasca sa mearga macar s-o vada live pe Lady Gaga. De la artisti la coregrafi, producatori, organiztori de evenimente etc, sa nu scape nimeni. Eu am vazut-o prima oara in urma cu 2 ani la Budapesta, in cadrul turneului anterior, si am revazut-o vara asta, cand a adus-o Emagic la Bucuresti. Mi se pare un studiu de caz extraordinar, lucreaza cu o echipa extrem de bine pusa la punct si cred ca ar trebui toti sa stea sa-si ia notite, sa mai invete cate ceva. Acelasi lucru este valabil si pentru videoclipurile si turneele lui Michael Jackson (el ar trebui sa fie prioritar).
O alta fantezie dubioasa de-ale mele: daca as avea vreo functie de conducere in presa mioritica (atat cat a mai ramas din ea), as face vizionari obligatorii, i-as aduna pe toti si i-as pune sa vada serialul The Newsroom. Sunt chestii care ar trebui stiute din primul an de facultate, da’ cumva au ajuns sa fie la fel de ignorate precum culoarea rosie la semafoarele din Bucuresti. Si se mai mira unii ca au devenit irelevanti…
Ei bine, „The Power of Storytelling” este proaspat intrat in topul asta al meu, fiind unul dintre cele mai folositoare evenimente la care am participat in ultimii ani. Echipa Decat o Revista (singura publicatie de la noi pe care o mai citesc „din scoarta’n scoarta” ) organizeaza anual aceasta conferinta de „narrative journalism„, la care invita unii dintre cei mai buni reporteri, jurnalisti, producatori din lume.
PoS 2012 s-a tinut weekendul trecut (5-6 octombrie), eu am putut fi prezenta din pacate doar in prima zi dar i-am prins fix pe cei pentru care mi-am dorit cel mai mult sa merg: Chris Jones, Mike Sager (printre cei care sunt in stare sa ma tina treaza noptile…ca sa citesc ce-au mai scris) si Jaqui Banaszynski. M-au trecut oamenii astia prin toate starile posibile: de la plans la ras cu lacrimi, frustrare, inspiratie etc, de nici nu stiu cand au trecut cele doua ore. Fara ppt-uri, fara artificii, fara bling bling…doar discursuri sincere ale unor oameni extrem de pasionati de ceea ce fac.
Va las cu o serie de linkuri, ca sa aflati ce ati pierdut:
– detalii despre speakeri
– o lista cu cateva povesti care merita citite (cate una de la fiecare speaker)
Articole scrise de cei care au fost prezenti:
– Bogdana Butnar: Ce am vazut la Power of Storytelling #2
– Andreea Burlacu: The power of storytelling
– Andra Zaharia: The power of storytelling
– Sorana Savu: 100 de povesti
– Jocul Orb: The Power of Storytelling – Day One
La final va invit sa cititi urmatorul text, pe care l-am descoperit datorita lui Chris Jones. Este un fragment dintr-un interviu cu Dave Eggars dat in 2000 pentru The Harvard Advocate:
The thing is, I really like saying yes. I like new things, projects, plans, getting people together and doing something, trying something, even when it’s corny or stupid. I am not good at saying no. And I do not get along with people who say no. When you die, and it really could be this afternoon, under the same bus wheels I’ll stick my head if need be, you will not be happy about having said no. You will be kicking your ass about all the no’s you’ve said. No to that opportunity, or no to that trip to Nova Scotia or no to that night out, or no to that project or no to that person who wants to be naked with you but you worry about what your friends will say.
No is for wimps. No is for pussies. No is to live small and embittered, cherishing the opportunities you missed because they might have sent the wrong message.
There is a point in one’s life when one cares about selling out and not selling out. One worries whether or not wearing a certain shirt means that they are behind the curve or ahead of it, or that having certain music in one’s collection means that they are impressive, or unimpressive.
Thankfully, for some, this all passes. I am here to tell you that I have, a few years ago, found my way out of that thicket of comparison and relentless suspicion and judgment. And it is a nice feeling. Because, in the end, no one will ever give a shit who has kept shit ‘real’ except the two or three people, sitting in their apartments, bitter and self-devouring, who take it upon themselves to wonder about such things. The keeping real of shit matters to some people, but it does not matter to me. It’s fashion, and I don’t like fashion, because fashion does not matter.
What matters is that you do good work. What matters is that you produce things that are true and will stand. What matters is that the Flaming Lips’s new album is ravishing and I’ve listened to it a thousand times already, sometimes for days on end, and it enriches me and makes me want to save people. What matters is that it will stand forever, long after any narrow-hearted curmudgeons have forgotten their appearance on goddamn 90210. What matters is not the perception, nor the fashion, not who’s up and who’s down, but what someone has done and if they meant it. What matters is that you want to see and make and do, on as grand a scale as you want, regardless of what the tiny voices of tiny people say. Do not be critics, you people, I beg you. I was a critic and I wish I could take it all back because it came from a smelly and ignorant place in me, and spoke with a voice that was all rage and envy. Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them. It is a fuckload of work to be open-minded and generous and understanding and forgiving and accepting, but Christ, that is what matters. What matters is saying yes.
I say yes, and Wayne Coyne says yes, and if that makes us the enemy, then good, good, good. We are evil people because we want to live and do things. We are on the wrong side because we should be home, calculating which move would be the least damaging to our downtown reputations. But I say yes because I am curious. I want to see things. I say yes when my high school friend tells me to come out because he’s hanging with Puffy. A real story, that. I say yes when Hollywood says they’ll give me enough money to publish a hundred different books, or send twenty kids through college. Saying no is so fucking boring.
And if anyone wants to hurt me for that, or dismiss me for that, for saying yes, I say Oh do it, do it you motherfuckers, finally, finally, finally.
