Ears that open mouths

"There are ears that have the power to open mouths" - I'm not sure who said that...

I heard the above quote just last Saturday at a storytelling workshop "Looking for Peace" led by Angela Knowles. I think it was only then that I realised the importance of listening.

Storytelling fascinates me. I think it's because it's similar to reading a novel. There are different styles of storytellers, different types of stories, yet the same stories are told uniquely. I'm not sure what it is that I find so compelling - it may be because, unlike a film, where you don't have to use imagination, a story can be more vivid because you do. Maybe it's the slower pace, the concentration on one thing as opposed to 101 things.

We had to split into groups at the workshop and each learn and tell a story to the rest of the group. I saw a fantastic bird which had 'flown through a rainbow' and smelt freshly baked bread and cinnamon buns.

I suppose the importance of the initial quote is for me the crux of storytelling. As a 'listener' I find it absorbing - a collective experience which wouldn't happen if the audience didn't listen or participate.

Perhaps one day an audience will 'participate' and be immersed in a story I tell...