Reject all frameworks and templates
be brave, be original...
There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres—Pythagoras
A fun activity in the storytelling workshops I create, especially if speaking to different levels of comfort and expertise, is to pull apart a movie.
You know the drill —> this happens, then this happens, but then this happens — therefore ‘yada yada yada’. This works because nobody feels self conscious about sharing their stories right away and also nobody has to “murder their darlings”. Believe it or not it is a fan favorite.
A Bug’s Life for example has the classic seven samurai plot following the ‘hero’s journey’. I laugh at the movie nonstop regardless of the amount of times I have seen it with my boys when they were small. These bloopers are equally funny.
But what happens with movie’s that are clearly not linear? How do we capture their patterns and rhythms? I would argue that is when things get percolating. And it is similar for engaging storytelling.
For example, this is in my top 3 of movies of all time. Spending time in Boston for a few speaking opportunities, I met a new friend in nearby Rockport. She is an artist that mudlarks along the craggy coastline of Gloucester and Bear Neck — creating beautiful works of art from the washed up treasures. In fact, she told me the story of frozen Charlottes and I actually spied one in The Outrun.
Discovering a framework would be next to impossible when relying on linearity. You follow the narrative by noticing patterns and rhythms. Think cinematically. I don’t mean ramble like a drunken raccoon but decide where you begin and where you want to end up.
How do we do this in the modern world if we want to remain relevant and unaverage our skills and interests. Maybe we don’t want to blend into the flotsam of existing templates and story. Reading about design, art and other outside interests rewards me with perspective.
Many which are unexpected and demand closer examination. Thank you to my childhood friend Amy Herman for bringing this image to my attention.
Case in point several articles in the RSA journal spoke to my professional interests in technology and communication.
Uppercase brilliantly spoke of adding illustration to our stories and another on biomimicry as well as finding patterns (and appreciating what they can tell us).
I read a lot of non-technical print materials. Not necessarily for immediate use but to absorb. I found a stack of these magazines in a vintage store and grabbed them…
Recognizing patterns of interest applies to design, visual storytelling and the work I do as a geospatial analyst. Below we are looking at solar panels detected from space.
The ephemera of story invites us to weave our curiosity into something bigger and more tonal and dare I say, longer lasting.
Like a song you hum either because it is on your mind or you forget the lyrics.