What a marvelous word, yes?
Lately I’ve been exploring the world of film as a medium for storytelling. And the truth is I’m overwhelmed by the results, both in the number of requests I’m getting from people who want to share their story, and by the ecstatic feedback from the people we’ve filmed thus far.
The best part about this whole process is watching how people begin to explore their own stories once the cameras roll. And after creating a handful of these videos, I’ve noticed a few themes:
1. Dissatisfaction
Without an obstacle to overcome there is no story, because there is no story without change.
Kendra didn’t want to promote pharmaceutical drugs as the solution to helping people lose weight and get healthy.
Dave didn’t want to follow the traditional path of politics and resented the traditional views of leadership.
Nick wanted more freedom for himself and his friends.
Michelle couldn’t do the 9-5 thing one more day.
Jodi wanted to leave her life as a lawyer behind to fulfill her childhood dream to travel.
2. Action
Longing for change is never enough. We have to create change for ourselves and in doing so we change the world around us.
Each person in the examples above had to leave one path in order to pave another.
Dissatisfaction without action results in the crushing of the soul.
Dissatisfaction followed by action towards positive change results in the renewal of the spirit.
3. Exceeded Expectations
Like the Rolling Stones song goes: You can’t always get want you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.
Jodi thought she was taking a year–long trip and ended up with a life of perpetual travel, filled with food and writing.
Kendra discovered helping people become healthier was about building trust and relationships more than building muscle.
I believe our lack of control over the outcome is a blessing in disguise because the possible is far more remarkable than we give it credit for.
4. The Next Chapter
Exploration is the gift that keeps on giving.
Our jobs may (and most likely will) change. Our environment may change. Our relationships may change. We may (and most likely will) question our existence and purpose.
So we keep searching.
As with any good story, the characters and the audience are left turning the page and looking towards the next adventure.
What’s your next story to explore? The possibilities are endless…
If you’re looking for a new way to explore your story this August, consider signing up for the Show & Tell Photography Storytelling Challenge.
Interested in hiring Show & Tell productions to help you share your story on camera? Send an email over on the contact page and sign up for the newsletter to be kept up to date! Note: The next “Share Your Story” in-studio day will be August 17th! Let us know if you want in!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Conflict – that concept so many people (say, Michael Bay) get totally wrong when they’re writing stories. That exciting energy that keeps us, as viewers/readers, glued to our seats, or on the edge of them. That tension, and sense of excitement because momentum is carrying things forward and who knows how it will all play out?
I’m currently looking at people whose compelling story – filled with conflict – is helping them stand out (Jodi is a good example). And in every case, conflict is at the heart, as people change while being torn in all sorts of directions, as they struggle to regain balance – and we’re rooting for them, but at the same time, kinda hoping they don’t do it *too* quickly…
And number 4 is a key difference with compelling stories as personal branding. Stories end. People and brands go on. So it’s fascinating seeing how personal and corporate branding snips the end off “Beginning, Middle & End” in order to keep us hooked.
#storygeek #apologies
Love this: “…as people change while being torn in all sorts of directions, as they struggle to regain balance…” So true.
But I would argue that stories don’t truly end either. The particular conflict may get resolved but the story itself could continue if the author let it. Being the musical theater nerd that I am, I’d point to “Into the Woods” as an example. The fairytales ias we know them end at the end of Act I. But then Act II begins where the traditional stories left off. Sondheim invites the audience to see his interpretation of what happens once the characters lived “happily ever after.”
#fellowstorygeek