Once upon a time, there was a powerful being, one who had the power to do, well, anything he wanted. His freedom was absolute and perfect. Nothing could hold him back, not even physical laws. His only restraint was his own integrity and commitment to goodness. His only problem was that he was alone. He wanted someone to enjoy his freedom and power with… The power of story.
I’m listening to an audiobook called Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, by Ed Catmull, president of Pixar Animation. This book is not only packed full of good information and helpful advice, but it is also filled with stories about overcoming the obstacles of working with early computer technology to make digital images, having George Lucas and Steve Jobs as bosses, the evolution of the toy cowboy named Woody and much more. I highly recommend the book, even if you aren’t in the animation business, you will love the stories and gain some great wisdom. If I don’t convince you of the power of story, I’m sure Ed Catmull will.
At Pixar, they have a motto, “Story is King”. In their case, I think its meaning is kind of obvious. Without a good story, people won’t watch their films. It is amazing to see how Pixar has developed in their graphic abilities. 3D graphics have come along ways since Toy Story 1. But even still, people deem Toy Story as a classic. Why? Ed Catmull explains that when people are captivated by a story, they are willing to forgive little mistakes, if they notice them.
Story is king because story is one of the most captivating tools known to man. Amanda D’annucci in her Ted talk asks, “How powerful can the art of story be? Stories can heal. Stories can teach. Stories can inspire. Stories can enlighten. Stories can resolve.” She also says that through story we can engage a larger portion of people’s brains.
Here is the basic neuroscience behind stories:
A story presents a character and a conflict. The conflict triggers cortisol, a stress hormone which grabs our attention. As the character tries to solve the problem, we develop empathy for him/her/them. When a problem is solved, the brain releases dopamine, a rewarding chemical. Now we are hooked. There are usually several conflicts and problems to solve in a story which keep us engaged and waiting for another dose of dopamine. At the end of a story, when all the problems are solved, there is a release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that helps us trust the solution or character in the story.
The question now is, how can storytelling help you promote your creativity?
If you are a visual artist, photographer, painter, graphic designer, etc., you fight to be seen in an age where your audience is bombarded by images all the time, for free. It’s the same for musicians. Nobody buys albums anymore, and with all the streaming platforms, musicians compete among thousands and thousands of other sounds within the same genre. However, story can make you stand out, no matter what art form you create.
Here a are few ways to use the power of story to promote your creations:
1. Tell stories through your art. Remember, stories consist of characters, conflicts and solutions.
2. Make up a story to go along with your creation. Write a little story intertwine the lyrics of your song. Write a story about the little girl in your photograph or painting.
3. Tell the story of how you made a particular creation. What obstacles did you face? What were your intentions? How did you feel before, during and after the creative process? How did you solve a particular problem?
4. Tell the story of your life, how you became an artist, musician, dancer, etc. How is your art connected to other events in your life?
Stories help you build rapport with your audience. Through stories, your audience will develop empathy for you. They will identify with you and feel like they know you personally and will want to support you.
Where can you tell your stories?
1. Events: Take advantage of any type of event where your creations are exhibited to tell your audience your stories.
2. Website: You should have your own website where you can talk about yourself and your work. Blogs are also a great way to tell stories about your work.
3. Social media: Use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or whatever social network you are familiar with to tell your stories and link them to your website and/or other platforms where people can find your creations.
4. Interviews and reviews: Seek out bloggers, vloggers, podcasters and reviewers who would be willing to interview you. People are looking for content to make their websites and channels valuable. You have the content they need.
5. Radio and TV: In my experience, in Bolivia, it really isn’t that hard to get a few minutes on the air with a local TV or Radio station. Just like the bloggers and vloggers, they are looking for interesting content to give to their audience.
6. Patreon.com: Patreon is a platform that allows content creators to be supported by their audience by offering paid memberships that grant them access to exclusive materials, for instance, a behind the scenes video for a particular work.
Speaking of behind the scenes, read about my own identity crisis which led me to write the song Mucho Más in my very first blog post. Click HERE.
Don’t forget that story is a very powerful tool that can be used for good or bad. So, let’s tell stories that will benefit our society by teaching values that edify instead of destroy.
One of the stories I recently listened to and couldn’t stop till I finished it was: ![""]("//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=inspiringcr05-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0358117607")
![]("//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=0358117607&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=inspiringcr05-20")
If you found this article helpful, please leave a comment or tell me how story has helped you.
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