I don’t know if you’ve ever had a good fortune of watching one of the travel documentaries hosted by the beautiful Dame Joanna Lumley or not. If you haven’t, I highly recommend them.
Some of the titles to look for are: Joanna Lumley’s Great Cities of the World, Joanna Lumley’s Trans-Siberian Adventure, and Joanna Lumley’s Unseen Adventures, to name a few.
Joanna’s documentaries are not just about travel and sightseeing, they offer so much more.
Not only does Joanna take viewers to popular tourist destinations, but her sense of curiosity sometimes navigates the show off the beaten track toward sights that might escape the radar of the average tourist.
Her documentaries often contain glimpses into the day-to-day lives of the people behind those destinations, highlighting their personal stories and experiences with such sensitivity, kindness and generosity.
The stories she shares are interesting, colourful, educational and so different from anything I would hear in my own day-to-day outings.
They are a true eye-opener… Isn’t that the point of a good documentary?
To me, the most endearing part of her documentaries is her sense of wonder. The way she genuinely marvels in amazement at the discoveries along her journey is a joy to behold and an invitation for the viewer to share in her serendipitous moments.
What I find amusing and surprising is that in the days following the viewing of one of her documentaries, when I am writing an article for the blog, I sometimes find myself using descriptive words that are not unlike the ones that Joanna uses over the course of her documentaries like “magnificent”, “treasure” and “sublime”.
It’s like little whispers of Joanna having a ripple effect through my writer’s voice, which pleases me to no end.
It’s not that I’m deliberately trying to replicate her style. That would be impossible.
In moments like that, I amuse myself in thinking that I’m channeling my inner Joanna in trying to tell a good story.
Given the extent to which I love her documentaries and her unique storytelling style, how can I not feel inspired by the way Joanna welcomes viewers to her programs as she recounts her journeys with us in such a friendly, joyful and accessible way?
Isn’t that essentially the same invitation that a blogger like me might extend to their readers?
Following in Joanna’s footsteps in storytelling inspires me to dig more deeply for my own sense of curiosity about the world.
The ripple effect of her magnificent style of storytelling also encourages me to take the extra time to articulate thoughts and feelings with a greater degree of care, sensitivity and sophistication.
To all the fans of the show Absolutely Fabulous, I wish I could say that when I “channel my inner Joanna”, I’m making reference to her role as Patsy. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, but just the same, wouldn’t those be fascinating blog posts?
If Joanna’s inspiration is a signpost, directing me to a style that helps me to tell stories in a way that can more easily connect with readers, then I am most grateful to Joanna for being such a wonderful role model.
As Joanna continues to guide us along her travels in the four corners of the world, I will remain a loyal fan and true, not only for the wonderful tour guide that she is but for her inimitable enthusiasm and love of the world and its people, which can serve as a source of inspiration to us all.
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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André
ANDRE BEGIN 
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