To find a mentor — A cautionary tale of a drowning seed

This is a story of a seed.

It has the potential to bloom, but it does not know what form it will take, nor the conditions needed for such magic to occur.

But it had seen seeds bloom into amazing plants before.

Over time the seed rolls into different terrains, some seemingly fertile, others not - it is difficult to tell from its perspective. And the seed's journey is largely under the sway of the wind, therefore it could only hope for where it may land, though at times with much effort, it felt like it could nudge its landing spot, just a little bit.

One day, the seed found itself in a nursery. It was vibrant and wonderful - it felt like the right place to be.

Big shadowy figures seemed to tend to the plants in this place. The seed was unsure of what they were doing, but soon it was distracted by the colourful brilliance of the surrounding plants. Fruits, flowers, leaves of all kinds. "Is this what it’s like to bloom?", it thought to itself.

In this moment of awe, one of the shadowy figures had noticed the lonesome seed, and picked it up.

The seed was unsure of what was happening, but it was both excited and nervous by this new experience. Both emotions come from the same source when one is faced with the unexpected.

The seed was then placed in a pot, though it hardly knew it from its perspective. It was sunny, and yet droplets of water started to pour… and pour...

What happens next

What happens after this story is very much dependent on the gardener. As the gardener (mentor) of the seed (mentee), his/her grasp of this role is imbued with the responsibility for the life of the seed and others under their care.

I have seen my peers bloom from mentorships but I have also seen those who have gained little or worse, damaged by a lack of empathy or misplaced expectations.

It never seemed like a surefire way to grow, thus I had never seen mentorship programmes through rose-tinted glasses. I have also rejected opportunities to mentor others as I feel I am not ready for such a relationship.

We are not merely seeds whose fate is tied to the wind. We have autonomy, and that means we can learn more about ourselves and our place in the world. Imagine the potential ending to the story when the seed understands a little more about itself before being influenced by the gardener. How different the journey could have been if it was not under the sway of the wind.

Growth, after all, could never be solely dependent on the gardener alone.

Such is the view I took of mentorship. Yet, after eight years of exploring this path of Documentary Storytelling and actively avoiding mentorship opportunities in order to get my hands dirty in understanding the various facets of my craft - I have now reached a point where I feel more confident in being an active partner in the mentorship experiences I seek.

It takes two hands to clap, and having the capability to learn should be a rather attractive trait to those who are generous in teaching. And perhaps my mentor can show me the ropes to get pass the crevasses of my journey that I had either struggles with crossing or avoided entirely at the expense for what lies ahead.

2022 is coming real soon, and I have already begun a journey of working with mentors in different fields to be the Documentary Storyteller I wish to be.

I hope to share more about my journey over the next few months and years.

And to my fellow seeds, may you dance with the wind rather than be swayed by it.