Fundamentally, we tell stories to connect
David Sewell McCann
Old School Storyteller, Speaks about Restorative Storytelling in Community Development, How to Story Podcast, Connective Sports Fan (Bills and Celtics mostly)
We've had a lot of rain here in New England. So much rain. And as I look out at the dogwood trees heavy with pink berries, and the birch trees as their leaves begin to turn golden, I recall this time of year when the boys were younger.?
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I have an image of them when they went on a September scavenger hunt in the rain. I have many of these memories. The two boys are both in college now and the younger just texted me a list of memories of growing up in Vermont. ?
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They recall their childhood as being magical and full of wonder, and this makes me very happy. I'm delighted this is their memory because it is mine as well. When I close my eyes and flip the pages back, I see stories, I see the natural world changing around me, and I see lots and lots of festivals: most of which we made up. I see that it is all about relationships: with each other, and with the world.?
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Last night I held a free lecture and workshop about creating festival or celebration stories. ?We used a “story generator” to create unique spontaneous stories for the festival of their choice. ?This is a major part of the boy's growing up: story rich events that marked time and created deep and enduring connections with people and places. ?It is at the center of the magic they recall and cherish.
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You can download the tool I introduced last night and try it out. ?It comes with one of the Restorative Storytelling tools for becoming prolific, or creating stories quickly and often.
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Here is what I want to say to you all: storytelling is magic, in the most true sense of the word. Storytelling can alter reality with a few simple words. This is spellcasting. This is what AI continues to strive to be able to do. It is a skill that was once only held by magicians, and now we all have it. And how are we using this skill?
The world is indeed made of stories, and thus the storytellers are the ones who wield the power of creating the world. What stories are you telling? What world are you creating?
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Strategic HR Business Partner | Leadership Development | Bridge Builder
1 年Love this, David. Thank you for sharing the Story Generator tool.
Author & Speaker Celebrating More Than 750 Presentations on Professional Growth, Communication & Personal Development
1 年I'm struck by your use of the word "festival," and I'm curious how you define this concept in the cosmology of your storytelling world? My relationship to the word is mostly associated with an actual event, you know, like with tents, clowns, face-painting, and exhibitor booths. But I sense you have something else in mind. Can you expand on what it means to you?