Allowing Stories to Work
This is selection #8 of a series of?Biology of Story?interview clips curated by?Paulo de Tarso F. Silva, Story Mediator and co-founder of?Metaphora International:
Creative endeavors can often feel like a lonely process. It is difficult to explain one’s vision to an audience when a story is activated but not yet “ready” (in accordance to our own standards). In those moments,? we might struggle with a sense of control and attempt to multitask with our creative flow. Story (as a living thing) gives us inspiration and may be impatiently asking to be acknowledged or played with. It is part of an inner movement even when we are unable to explain (to ourselves and others) what it means in practice, how it will unfold and why.?
When we know that there is a living Story as part of our creative process, we are confronted with the need for trust in a collaboration that is yet unfolding. As Story Mediators at Metaphora International , where we engage in Collaborative Storytelling and Craft (the activity and method), we accept that the collaborative part of our work is not only in reference to Story Mediators and storytellers but also with Story, our environment and all the activity systems we interact with. We also acknowledge that any creative process can be quite overwhelming. Story Mediation can be a way to find support in offloading ideas and sensemaking during times of change and complexity.
Although at times I also try to simplify the complexity of this collaboration with Story in our work, I am often reminded by the stories we work with that part of our craft requires us to surrender to the process and just enjoy being “in the zone”. There is no need to understand everything when inspiration is at play. Whenever possible we should allow our senses to guide us like a compass. In our practice at Metaphora International the metaphor "work as craft mindset" attempts to remind people that our embodied senses play an important role in supporting the materialization of creative projects.?
When we look at people as creative beings, anyone who crafts, designs or tinkers with any material or process in collaboration with Story (such as story mediators, artists, storytellers, storytelling practitioners, etc), may notice a lack of recognition of how valuable their creations are. At the same time, there is still a level of certainty, knowing that the impact of their contribution will be revealed at the right time. This type of trust comes with experience and also a certain level of hope for a positive outcome. Trust and hope make the collaboration with Story fruitful and even more interesting in any creative process.??
Have you ever experienced a story coming to you out of nowhere? Have you ever felt you should follow the lead of a Story without being able to explain what it meant?
This Biology of Story interview clip with film director, producer and writer Pen Densham addresses that need for trust, not only in the process of his craft but in the collaboration with something inexplicable, accepting a lack of control, and believing that there is a reason why a story comes to you. Pen describes the beginning of that process as following his “gut instinct” and exploring a different type of heroism when writing Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991).?
The link to this clip in the Biology of Story i-documentary?can be found?here?and it is better experienced from a computer.?
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Alternatively, you can watch the clip on Youtube from?this link.
Story Mediator and Co-Founder of?Metaphora International
May 2023
The?Biology of Story?interactive documentary is based on the work of?Amnon Buchbinder,?Geneviève Appleton,?Resounding Media Inc.?. It includes interviews of a vast community of?storytelling practitioners from several backgrounds including screenwriting, novel writing, television writing, oral storytelling, psychology, education, the sciences, video game design, aboriginal teachers and educators.
About the author:
Paulo de Tarso Fonseca Silva?is an educator, Story Mediator and consultant with?Metaphora International?. He is also the co-host of the?Collaborative Storytelling Café podcast.?He initiated the Collaborative Story Craft method and with his partner?Tricia Cleland Silva, PhD, he has researched and developed educational tools for enabling people to craft stories that speak to oneself and others in educational settings, community projects and organisations. In 2022 they co-authored the book:?Making Sense of Work Through Collaborative Storytelling - Building Narratives in Organisational Change.?The book was published by?Palgrave Macmillan?and it can be accessed?online for free?thanks to the support of the?Academy of Finland.?