The universe is made of stories, not atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser
There is power in story. Story is transformative, taking mere words and shaping them until they are woven and spun into a tapestry that paints a picture we are drawn into. It’s why we love movies – stories connect us, and let us know we are not alone in the world. We relate to story.
When we want to get to know someone, we ask them to tell us their story – not their stats. Stats may be impressive, but stories create indelible impressions that have the potential to stay with us for a lifetime, or even to change the world.
In thinking about storytelling, I was struck by the realization that integrated brand marketing is in actuality an exercise in storytelling. Successful branding of a product requires the understanding that underneath all of the threads there is a fantastic plot that ties it all together, and provides meaning.
I stumbled across a video of an excellent presentation given by Nancy Duarte at TedX in 2010, called You Can Change the World. In it, Nancy provides a fascinating look at the difference between presenting and storytelling by artfully analyzing talks given by Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King, Jr. – two men who define what it means to be world changers. It’s eighteen minutes long, but well worth viewing:
People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end anymore. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning. -Steven Spielberg
Although the speeches given by Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King, Jr. had an ending, their stories have not ended. Rather, their stories have created and continue to create new beginnings. What a beautiful way to envision the power of story.
I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity. -Gilda Radner
May we be brave enough to embrace the “delicious ambiguity” of our stories, understanding that when we have the courage to move beyond ourselves and reach into the hearts of our audience we may actually change the world.
-Kellie Clinebell
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