A Whole New Mind: Story

April 12th, 2007 at 6:59 AM

“In the Conceptual Age, however, we must awaken to the power of narrative,” Pink writes. “Story represents a pathway to understanding that doesn’t run through the left side of the brain.”

Story is the most critical of the six elements to our company.

I recently watched The Invisible Children, a documentary on the tragic war in Uganda. The documentary-makers told the stories of children forced out of their homes to sleep in shelters out of fear of LRA rebels, who kidnap children and force them to be child soldiers—producing emotionless, ruthless killers—before they even hit puberty.

The Invisible Children documentary is a prime example of video-based storytelling that gives birth to significance—the movement has mobilized thousands of people around the globe to take action against this desperate situation.

It wasn’t created to guilt people into action, it was to communicate the harsh reality and motivate people with resources to offer relief—by simply sharing stories.

Videographers, filmmakers, documentary-makers—whatever term you choose—all seek to impact the world with their work. When we’re able to grab a hold of stories and capture them in a compelling way, change will happen.

The question is: How will you tell your story?

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This is the third blog based on A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink (Riverhead Books).