All Roads Media features interviews and creative works from new, occasional, and established storytellers. Whether you are a storyteller or story lover, an artist or everyman, this space is for you.
All Roads Media features interviews and creative works from new, occasional, and established storytellers. Whether you are a storyteller or story lover, an artist or everyman, this space is for you.
This is something that we’ve really grappled with recently, struggling especially with how to put all we think and feel into words. Words that always seem just out of reach, and a concept seemingly too infinite to contain on a page. But, reflection has been a big part of quarantine for us so it has also felt very important, almost urgent, to at least try. And we’ll just have to forgive ourselves when we inevitably get it wrong, come up short, or end up with a mess of word soup.
Sometimes, in extreme times like these, it can feel as if the overwhelming message, whether from external voices or the ones in our own heads, is that stories are not important, that they are frivolous, indulgent, and a low priority in the grand scheme of things. And while these are judgments that even we have occasionally felt, we ultimately have to reject them. Because, more often than not, time and time again, it’s proven to us that stories are the very salvation we need to get through times like these. That there is, in fact, immense power and value in sharing our stories and experiences with one another. And while we unquestionably know this, and know there are far simpler ways to express this, we aren’t content to stop there. That taking the time to break it down, even if just for ourselves, feels necessary in order to show our heart, stay accountable, and motivated to move forward.
So, why are stories, and storytelling, important? The basics are easy enough to identify. They help us to connect internally to ourselves, reflect on and process our thoughts and emotions, and express those things through a creative outlet. They provide us with much-needed comfort and distraction, tie us to our culture and traditions, and often provide us with dreams and purpose. They allow us to grow and heal in various ways and to move forward a little lighter with renewed hope and perspective.
But more than that, and here may be the crux of it all for us, they also help us to better understand and relate to one another, the world at large, and our place in it. They help us to feel less alone, build empathy and compassion, learn humility, think bigger, and be inspired. That when we are exposed to as many voices and ideas as there are human beings on this planet, we become better equipped to live among one another, help one another, process our relationships to and effects on one another, expand our horizons, make amends, develop new ways of expressing our most primal and enlightened selves, accept the ways others express themselves, and contribute to the greater good. We benefit from ideas, concepts, and solutions never imagined possible, to language never imagined possible. Most simply put, stories allow us to witness and be witnessed.
Even greater still, stories, in their many forms and iterations, are imprints of humanity. The tangible and intangible proof that we existed, direct links to our singular and collective past, present, and future. Whether a funny anecdote, a horrifying tale of survival, a grandmother’s recipe, an intricately choreographed dance, a spoken word call for social justice, or a simple song or monologue, all are part of a historic and global contribution to exploring and preserving the human experience. Of lives that lived, minds that thought, voices that spoke, bodies that created, hearts that loved, souls that yearned. Their contributions and crimes, truths and lies, lessons and follies, and everything in between. In ways both large and small, good and bad, they are our individual and collective legacy as human beings. For without stories, there is no history, without history there's no record of life, and if there's no record of life, there's at best a gap and at worst erasure.
And this is perhaps the most basic but profound point of them all. Because there is very real power in who’s stories are told, how they are told, who is present, and who is missing. Representation, agency, context, and authenticity are critical, though often missed, pieces of this puzzle. And when we limit the voices and styles around us, shrinking our world down to a false, narrow monolith, we lose the full, beautiful tapestry of humanity, we lose creativity, we lose our greater sense of self and responsibility, and we lose the truth. When we appropriate, suppress, or silence stories and their creators we are essentially erasing the very existence of people.
Given all of this, it seems that not only do stories and their creators matter, they matter on a grand scale. And while there is value in pure, unadulterated entertainment, it’s this greater purpose that we are called to, and felt it so necessary to define. That more than content or filling a quota, our aim is, and always has been, a higher one. To explore the full, rich experience of life and being human in an authentic and meaningful way. To appreciate simplicity but always push to see the bigger picture, understand how the dots are connected, and never forget the importance of truth and context. To create an environment that is safe and proud, and dedicated to curiosity, compassion, perspective, humility, honesty, celebration, conversations, agency, and understanding. To recognize the human behind the art and accept/seek out stories told by their legitimate owners in their authentic styles and voices. To try to navigate this work with transparency, integrity, and grace. To present these stories and insights with honest intentions and without co-opting, distorting, or projecting. To plant our feet firmly in both magic and reality and keep the true spirit of humanity, in all that it means, in all that we do.
And finally, to acknowledge that if we believe that art should reflect the full scope of humanity, in all of its shapes, styles, colors, cultures, identities, abilities, disabilities, educational paths, socio-economic backgrounds, languages, geography, and beyond, that our work is not done. That it may never be done because there is always something to learn and room for growth. We must continue to do better, aim higher, and resist being satisfied with complacency and silence. To keep the needle moving towards progress and not perfection.
This is our purpose, now fully formed and fully defined. We make this commitment to you, our community, that we will keep expanding the stories and voices on our site as well as our methods with which we present them. And while it may take time, we are committed to doing this work. We desire to do this work. And are invested in upholding the principles of diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equity both on and off our site.
We hope some of this has resonated with you. It has, at least, made us feel a little lighter. Thank you for continuing on this journey with us. We stand with you and remain in this together. Stay safe and be well friends.
Sincerely yours,
Caitlin Simkovich
Founder & Editor