The World Pulse 50: What Storytelling Means to Me

I'm one of the World Pulse 50 — Storyteller

\"We live in a world that sustains itself on binaries. Good-evil, mine-other, white-dark; there are many ways that imaginary lines are perceived as tangible boundaries because of such dualistic thinking. I navigate this world of boundaries from the rainbow. As a queer, neurodivergent, third-culture kid, I grew up feeling like an outsider in groups that were considered “normal”.

I had figured out from living in varied places that no matter the colour, body type or neurotype of a person, we are people - and we deserve to be respected as such. The way I found this rainbow through confusing social demands, was through stories.

Stories that have been an inheritance from time immemorial - from mother Nature and our indigenous ancestors, all the way down to books and Kindles. You see, in stories, binaries don’t always hold up. Instead, they show infinite, varied ways in which their characters perceive the world. In stories, I found kin just like me. Weird people who didn’t really fit, but earnestly plodded through the world trying to find their way as themselves. They may have experienced binaries, but alongside came so much delicious nuance!

Recently, I have come to realise that black-and-white thinking is an illusion. We constantly inhabit spectrums, and the only way to bridge external gaps to meet the heart within, is to hear each other’s stories. To tell our own stories. No one can live your truth exactly like you do.

I am honoured and deeply grateful that my stories have been heard and valued. More importantly, that they are connecting with hearts and sparking conversation and curiosity. Thank you, my World Pulse community, for seeing me and honouring my stories.

May they continue to weave with your stories and the stories of the world long after I have ceased to be a separate person and am united with the elements. Now I see that maybe the world isn’t sustained by binaries after all - it is instead a dance of spectrums, meant to be enjoyed with a generous dollop of love. \"

World Pulse Voices Rising Awards

This story has been posted as part of the World Pulse Voices Rising Awards. I am part of The World Pulse 50 — a curated list of leaders in the World Pulse community who are creating extraordinary impact in the areas of storytelling, digital changemaking, digital empowerment training, and the World Pulse Spirit! Meet the World Pulse 50 here.