The story–from Rumplestiltskin to War and Peace–is one of the basic tools invented by the human mind for the purpose of understanding. There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories. –Ursula Le Guin
What’s Your Story?
As human beings, we are all–every single one of us–in the story-making business. We tell stories to entertain each other at dinner parties. We pay good money to watch stories in theaters and cinemas that help us experience love or terror, excitement or redemption . We share stories to illustrate what we find valuable, meaningful for even funny. We are, at a very basic level, the stories we tell.
The purpose of I Am Story Studios is to understand the profound, universal power of our own stories and to explore the ways we can share them. By paying attention to the impact of story on our lives, we can, first, better appreciate and treasure our experiences, and, second, live more intentionally, creatively and with more meaning.
What Is a Story?
There are lots of different definitions of what makes a story. For the purposes of this site, however, I like one that I first stumbled upon years ago in a book by Tristine Ranier, Your Life as Story. She says that in its simplest form a story is:
- What you wanted
- How you struggled, and
- What you realized from that struggle.
That’s all. But that’s huge! Story is taking the events of your life and viewing them from the perspective of your desires, your intentions, and your learning. You can cover a lot of ground that way.
What Is the Intersection of Story, Psychology & Art?
Even if story is so important, you might be thinking, what does it have to do with Psychology and Art, and why are they linked?
Good question. Like the three parts of a fleur de lis bound together in I Am Story Studio’s logo, this site offers three separate but related ways to approach the power of story, each represented by its own section on the site. Just click on the buttons at the top of the page to be redirected to those specific parts of the site to find the area most interesting to you. Feel free to explore. You can start in any area and move around depending on what works best for you.
Starting with Story:
If you want information or ideas about how to approach the writing process, this is the place for you. Under this section you will find hints and tips about the writing process, Story Starters to help you find a way to begin your project, recommended reading material, and sample stories to give you inspiration. You’ll also find ideas on how to sort through a lifetime of experiences to find the most meaningful moments as subjects for your stories. Just jump in anywhere and see if you can find the resources to get started.
Starting with Psychology:
Because storytelling is so basic to the way we live and think, we are often unaware of how storytelling affects our beliefs and understanding of ourselves. Just as you can drive your car to the store without ever really understanding how the mechanics of a car work, it is easy to move through life telling and consuming stories without ever really understanding how they affect us. The part many of us miss is that our stories are not just a recounting of the events of our lives, but a recounting of our beliefs about our lives. By understanding the psychology behind storytelling, we give ourselves the power to use it in a more effective, meaningful way. Visit this portion of the site if you want more information on memory or creativity or the psychology of full engagement. You can also find resources about the latest on brain research, as well as lists of recommended reading.
Starting with Art:
On top of storytelling being powerful and meaningful, it should also be FUN and CREATIVE! For many people storytelling is a big, scary, wordy process, and it doesn’t have to be. Recent research shows us that visual imagery is critically important in how we interact with and understand the world. In fact, about half of your brain’s processing power is devoted to visual sensory information. That old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is based in fact. Pictures transmit information much more quickly an efficiently than just text, and contribute to better recall of the information. Given this staggering fact, it seems logical to integrate visual imagery with storytelling whenever possible, and to consider the storytelling opportunities in art. In addition, artistic activities often provide a pathway to access non-verbal parts of ourselves, and are a great way to brainstorm or gather ideas for your storytelling. Visit this portion of the site for tips to use imagery in storytelling, to start a visual journal, to see a gallery of other people’s work, or to find links to other fun resources.
You are story! Get started now.
