Reflecting on the WHY and Story Mediation
This is selection #2 of a series of Biology of Story interview clips curated by Paulo de Tarso Fonseca Silva , Story Mediator and co-founder of Metaphora International :
"Why are we doing it, really?"
This ?Biology of Story clip with Andrew Pyper got me thinking about my own work as a story mediator.
Why do we need Story Mediation in our practices, in organizations, in our communities? To hold time and space for people to listen to their stories, to one another, to themselves and pay attention to their environment. To witness people question the purpose of the story that they are acting on.
Story Mediation is part of a support system for sensemaking and includes at least 3 roles of collaborating parts: the story mediator, the storyteller and Story.
Story mediators also seek to provide and enable validation. Authenticity is key, so validation is not simply given. It needs to be felt and it comes out at the right time as an ally to the storyteller or in the voice of Story itself. It is quite common to witness revelations coming out mid-sentence in the storytellers’ own voices, reassuring them that many of the answers reside inside themselves. They say things like: “I didn’t even know I thought that way…” or “Now that I am saying it allowed it sounds like a good idea…” or “Maybe I could just stop and try something else”.
As storytellers we are also action-oriented beings, but many times our “fast lives” don't allow us to focus on what our story needs the most for being sustainable.
Reconnecting with the “why” before running is the main idea, and metaphorically speaking, I think about the energy of a cheetah:
Although the cheetah is a fast runner, it needs to select a chase that feels right, not as part of an impulsive action but based on a thought-through decision that can sustain the cheetah’s vitality in the long run. A moment of clarity will save the cheetah energy to acquire the nutrition that is so important for its survival.
Part of the story mediator’s role is to remind the teller of questions that are waiting to be answered. It is no surprise that a very simple question can redirect the significance of a story or even a lifestyle.
In this Biology of Story clip, Andrew Pyper calls attention to the question: Why Are We Doing it, Really?
What about you? Why do you do what you do?
Any thoughts about this text or the clip and The Biology of Story are welcome!
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Paulo de Tarso Fonseca Silva
Story Mediator and Co-Founder of?Metaphora International
January 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.?