With storytelling, smaller is bigger. I recently met a screenwriter and he told me about a project he's working on, a cross-cultural romance. In his story, a feminist from the West falls in love with a chauvinist from the East. He was having trouble creating the backstories of these characters, why they are together despite their differences. We kept coming up against sticking points and the story wasn’t working.
Once upon a time there was a president who was known primarily by his initials, JFK. He and the nation he represented was upset that Russia was beating them in a competition called the space race. Every day the USA and Russia ran against each other to be the ‘first’ when it came to exploring…
Working in an innovation space can feel lonely when only a small number of people outside of your team understand what you are trying to accomplish.
Stories make us feel good. Yup, that good. According to novelist and neurologist, Robert Burton, when we hear something with a beginning, middle, and an end, we get a hit of dopamine. Dopamine is our natural feel-good, high chemical. This is why we love and are addicted to stories. From childhood fairytales to novels, to TV…
There was nothing unusual about the small wooden pipe except for a tiny glass rectangle protruding from the bottom of its bowl. This piece of glass is so small it could be easily missed. For those who don't miss it will see a black and white image if they press their eye against it at…
I have a secret super power, the power of story. I am not the only one who posses this power. We all have it. Some of us understand this power and use it to the best of our ability. There are others who have not yet fully realised their powers. There is always a period…
Life is not about the big stuff. Everything that is important is quite small. We tend to think of a person’s life as a long and complex story. A biography shouldn’t be a short easy read right? It should be a complex narrative that examines a person’s loves, struggles, accomplishments and failures. What if I…
Where do your most meaningful stories come from? From your lived experience. They come from your childhood, your friends, travels or working life. How do you identify the stories that move you? You don’t forget them. You see or hear something and it reminds you of that event or time in your life. Take note…
How do you learn about someone? Listen to their story. In July this year I ran a workshop with Megan Spencer, Deep Storytelling : Creating A Culture of Connection. We assisted an amazing group of people's ability to refine their own story and create a community around their message. The focus of this project was…
I don’t know about you, but there seems to be a lot of endings and beginnings going on. Why do we tend to do similar things at about the same time? Is it the collective consciousness? I would say it is the power of story. We tend to make decisions within similar time frames because…
Storytelling Built For Innovation 