Learning to self-identify as a creative storyteller

I remember when I first met Jen Warnick. I had read her amazing stories on Microsoft Story Labs, a platform that focuses on how people use Microsoft products like Power BI and Minecraft to boost their creativity or bring their passion to life in every aspect of work. I've always admired Jen’s adaptability and willingness to try any content form ranging from an article that pays homage to the New York Times’s Snow Fall to a 10,000 word story where the reader could choose their own adventure (for more proof that Jen is amazing, see here and here and here).

Regardless of the topic, Jen’s stories always put people first. They celebrate moments when people were empowered to achieve their goals, and the technology comes after. As a writer who wants to create things that people will actually read, I’m constantly inspired by her strong grasp of narrative storytelling, especially in the context of a tech company.

Her identity as an innovative storyteller only became more evident when we met in person. Jen was:

• Candid: Our conversation about her switch from journalism to working in tech was prefaced by the statement, "I was tired of eating 99 cent mac and cheese and worrying that buying a latte would make me bounce a check."
• Authentic: Currently, Jen a program manager in the Core Services Engineering (formerly known as Microsoft IT). Even though she didn’t have a lot of technical IT knowledge prior to this role, she is owning her identity as a storyteller even as she approaches more technical content. Now, she creates engaging content for a technical audience! Her willingness to jump into a new role something that I’m still learning how to do.
• Creative: She always wanted to push the content form at Microsoft, whether it’s vlogging, podcasts, or internal content that could make IT more engaging.

During our conversation, Jen asked me about my long-term goals. I told her that I wanted to be a better multimedia storyteller who could hang with the best of the UX designers. I’m still trying to find the best combination of journalism, higher education, and storytelling, but I’m getting closer every day.

In this moment, I took a page out of her book and decided to share my story as authentically as possible: I admitted my struggle to self-identify as creative. When she probed further about this, I explained that most of the people in my life were logical and analytical - they were doctors and physician assistants and software engineers. I wanted to be in a role where I could create something out of nothing and transition to being a “creator,” but I wasn’t sure if I had the skills to do this yet. 

Jen responded with a pretty simple but profound assertion:

Curiosity is a form of creativity.

Paint that on a wall, scribble it in the corner of every paper, and shout it from the top of Mount Rainier because that statement is the perfect description of my past work as a journalist, educator, and writer. For example, I always walk around with a well-worn, scribble-laden notebook filled with salient quotes, tidbits, and mini-reflections from my conversations with Microsoft employees and other role models, favorite teachers, and friends. It’s a way for me to save people’s insights and share them with others.

Just like Jen, my writing is informed by people's stories, and I want to celebrate them and the things they’ve taught me. By learning to self-identify as creative, I’m learning to fully own my identity as a storyteller instead of waiting until I have enough expertise to become one. I can recognize the way that writing long-form journalism stories is a form of creative storytelling, but I also value the way that I reframe ideas when working as a writing tutor as a form of creative work because I’m presenting information in a new way.

So, in what ways are you creative in your work, and how do people empower you to do this? Regardless of the company or role, I hope you find people like Jen who inspire you in a field of interest, but also recognize your potential.