Friday, November 22, 2013
The Importance of Story
www.thindifference.com: I don’t know if it is just the fact I am getting older or social media has opened up more channels, but I love a good story. One day I started to think about some of my purchases over the past few years and the thought hit me: Many of my purchases are based on a good story. - See more at: http://www.thindifference.com/2013/11/16/importance-of-story/#sthash.karJ9Q2n.dpuf
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7 comments:
Although this article gives good examples of stories that inspired people to do good deeds, it fails to mention the fact that there are several stories that inspired people to do "bad" things (at least they're "bad" for my standards). There are stories of violence, rape, alcoholism, etc that could appeal to many people. The appeal comes from the human desire of doing things we shouldn't do, things that we know are wrong, but we do them anyway. After all, isn't there a little bit of a devil inside of us? A part that wants to free ourselves from the constraints of morals and responsibility. What is nice about a story, is that those bad deeds are just parts of the story; no physical harm comes from reading about and enjoying these things. These are what I call "Our little secrets." Those desires that we don't want others to know we have. But sometimes, these stories can get inside fragile minds, and those secret, internal desires become external and physical. Yes, stories can inspire people to do good things, but the human mind is too fragile to assume that every human being will react the same way. I think stories and storytellers (whether musicians, artists,writers, etc) are very dangerous because the mind can be manipulated so easily.
We do love our stories! Think about how myths have survived throughout the years -- stories are ingrained in our nature and are so important to society. Yes, as Lindsay says, stories and storytellers can be dangerous, but they are also what give us reason to do good, teach us morals, and make us laugh. I love the thought of your personal story. I have thought about this often; how my dad can tell a story about his life and it's absolutely amazing. I can tell a story of something funny that happened to me, but I think about my life and though a lot of amazing and wonderful things have happened and though I've experienced a lot for my age, I'm not sure my storytelling skills are quit like my dad's yet and I would love to work on that. Maybe it is something that comes with time. The more you practice, the better you get at telling stories, the more experience you've had, the more stories you can tell. Maybe that's why grandparents have the best stories! A friend of mine was telling us about how to make a good slide presentation and he said, you have to tell it like a story. It has to flow naturally. Sit down, write a story about your research and then tell it in slides. I love that! Of course it completely makes sense!
This article makes me think of what my high school theatre teacher used to always tell us. "Theatre is about telling the story." Before every show he used to always end his greenroom speeches with "And don't forget to tell the story!" That being said I'm glad he burned this idea into my head at a young age because it really is the basis of theatre. As a lighting designer its imperative that you ask yourself what your role will be in the story telling of any given production. I'm a firm believer that every show has some type of story to tell. Some may be more coherent then others and in my opinion I find shows with a more compelling story to have much more value in them.
As human beings, we have a thirst for stories. Stories create color in a grayscale world. They hold the power to compel us to act. Through their words they invoke passion, compassion, connection, discussion, laughter, and peace. Without stories, the intrigue that is life begins to dissipate immediately. Consider this article. A lot of what it talks about is the business industry, a industry that is traditionally considered very cut and dry, data, numbers, hours, profit margins. Yet there is a movement that blends both empathetic story with logistical impersonal side. Many people question the longevity and life of art, becoming concerned that it’s days are numbered. However, art is a primary medium through which stories are told. Thus, while the platform, location, and medium may change, the art of storytelling will remain a central human thirst. Thus, becoming a storyteller is a pretty safe career choice. But like most other careers, it is not without its requirement for discipline and perseverance.
I really liked this article, it was just sort of a happy something to think about, which I enjoyed. Stories really do make things better and more interesting. I remember being younger and always finding it really exciting if I could follow along a clear story in a song I was listening to. And the idea of thinking about what our life story is, is really interesting too. Sometimes when I'm trying to make decisions, I'll think things like "if I was writing a memoir about myself, what would be a more interesting experience?" The writer of this article had a really cool perspective.
I have been talking about this with some of my theatre/film friends lately in relation to what makes you enjoy a play, film or a piece of theatre and when it all boils down, it's a good story. Recently I have been watching some theatre, which though visually pleasing, always seems to fall short when it comes to a good/compelling story. When I have to create my own story or I am led on a wild goose chase, I lose interest and either fall asleep or leave. Does theatre need to have a story and I'm not even talking about performance art? Should abstract theatre not still tell some kind of story or should it just deliver something? As Alex mentioned, human beings thrive on stories. We grow up reading all of these myths and tales and we identify with all of these characters. What do we thrive on when there is no longer a story? Again I ask, does there need to be a story? I think so, but many might disagree.
The importance of story has become much more apparent in branding in recent years. More and more products seem to adverse themselves as a way to represent your unique character (Even the color of your cell phone). It is interesting to see how products are created to allow people to feel ownership of their experience. I am waiting to see if there will be a backlash in the way advertisements are constructed, in the next decade.
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