Thursday March 24th is our 72nd CreativeMornings in Dubai morning motivational with Laila Binbrek.

Register now seating is limited!

Laila Binbrek - Art, Story and You | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Every month we like to lead into our talk with an opinion piece and this month’s essay is by our host James Piecowye.

Back Story

by James Piecowye

“Never assume you know someone else’s truth. Everyone has a back story.”

-Laila Binbrek

I can’t get Laila’s back story quote out of my head.

I must have started this piece 15 times trying to bring to the page what it is about this quote that keeps pulling me into my memories.

My back story, is messy, disconnected, funny, heartbreaking at times, motivating at other times and I wouldn’t change a single thing even if I could.

Yet, I only selectively share my back story and I almost never share what I like to think of as the pivotal moment in my back story with anyone.

Maybe I don’t want to expose a vulnerability in myself by sharing my back story?

Maybe I don’t want to appear to be different from you by sharing my back story?

Maybe I don’t want to share my back story because I want to maintain a public and private me?

By not sharing my back story you don’t have a complete picture of who I am.

By not sharing my back story you are forced to make decisions about what I do, the value of my contributions and even my desirability as a friend based on incomplete information.

Maybe the problem I have is not the wanting to share my back story but the how do I open the door to sharing my back story.

How do you fit the events of a fishing trip that ended tragically in the summer 1975 into a conversation?

For 22 years I have had business cards printed at Zayed University and behind my name are the letters PhD and MB.

In 22 years not a single person has EVER asked what MB stands for, not even the person approving the printing has knocked on my back story door.

Yet as I sit here writing this, I hesitate to share any more details even though I am showing you the door to knock on.

My back story is the missing puzzle piece to what I do and who I am.

Your back story is your missing puzzle piece.

What I have learned from 71 CreativeMornings events is that we all need to find our own channel to tell our back story and as vulnerable as we might think it makes us telling that story will not only be personally liberating but it creates the basis upon which a richer relationship with the people we interact with can be built.

My channel is podcasting.

I am going to fill in the missing pieces of my back story puzzle by recording a podcast drama because as Laila has reminded me my story is my truth without which you really don’t know me.

What about you?

What is your back story and how will you share it?