Ira Glass, host of the acclaimed radio show, This American Life, which broadcasts nationally on Public Radio International in the United States, is the first person to admit it took him a while to find his storytelling voice.
He began work at the age of 19 in 1978 at National Public Radio’s headquarters in Washington D.C. before going on to work on a number of iconic programs like Morning Edition and The Wild Room. But even though he is now considered a “radio hero”, much admired for giving voice to the many voiceless people in American society, he is clear that it took him eight years before he was competent at creating his own stories.
In this video, he explains that you should never give up trying to find your unique way of expressing yourself. He insists that everyone goes through a period where while they know what they want to say, they struggle to find a way to say it to their satisfaction. This is not the time he says to give up, as many people do but to persevere till the inner voice matches the outer reality.
I think that anyone who have ever despaired of truly finding their creative groove will find this video inspiring.