#258 Reach for the brass ring

People who choose a career in the arts are used to hearing advice about finding a job that pays real money and doing art on the side. But if no one leaps over the edge and spreads tentative wings, there will be no musicians, dancers, actors, artists, writers…or storytellers.

Liz Weir, storyteller who reached for the brass ring; photo by Winfried Dulisch

The courage of those who refuse to listen to cautious advice inspires me. One of them is Liz Weir. When she launches into a story, she has a sparkle in her eye and an animated delivery that make even the most jaded audience fall under her spell. She inherited the gift, coming from a family and a country where stories are the coin of conversational exchange.

Still, not everyone dares turn a gift, or even a passion, into a career. I remember meeting Liz when she welcomed me to her home in Northern Ireland. We had never met before, but that did not keep her from not only inviting me to her home but also setting up a storytelling tour around Belfast – and driving me to all the gigs. Then she went a step farther and took me on holiday along with dear friends who were taken aback she would include an unknown American.

At the time, Liz was a Belfast librarian. She was not only a fabulous storyteller, she also was the consummate event organizer and people connector. We had long talks about our shared passion and our dreams for our own lives. They began while we were together and have continued ever since.

One of Liz’s dreams was to leave the safety of her full-time job and set out on the riskier path of the full-time storyteller and writer. Not an easy decision for a single mother, but Liz took the chance and then did what anyone who wants to succeed in the arts must do. She worked hard. She made connections. She analyzed her dreams and ambitions and figured out what it would take to achieve them.

Now Liz is one of the best-known storytellers on the international circuit. She has numerous publications and recordings to her name. She is in demand. She has carved out a successful career in a field where only a handful are able to make anything like a living following their passion.

I’ll put some links here so you can get to know more about Liz and her work. And if you are wondering if you should reach for the brass ring, no one can give you the right advice. You have to listen to your inner voice, but you also have to throw every ounce of your energy into it.

If you have the courage and the drive, you’ll take heart knowing about someone else who dared reach for the brass ring – and caught it.

• Ballyeamon Camping Barn – where Liz has created a magical setting for visitors
• Video of Liz talking about the Creative Industries Innovation Fund
• Liz on Facebook
• Liz on the importance of listening (video)

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Tags: artist, Liz Weir, storyteller, writer