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Storytelling, media & me

by Deborah Hinton

Today, I read an article about the growing demand for people who are able to tell stories in every media - photographs, text, audio, video, alone or in any combination - and made the case for pr [read communications] professionals to build these skills. The medium, it seems, really is the message.

So, I thought it was a good time to check in and see where we stand in this world of ‘content’ production.

Me?  For the past couple of years I’ve been experimenting with different social media and getting used to writing and sharing ideas and stories online - here, as support to Michael for From Marshall and me, on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare [which after much frustration I've stopped using] and by commenting on other blogs when I feel I have something to add to the discussion.  I’ve attended a two Montreal PodCamps and several Third Tuesdays to get a deeper understanding of what technologies and applications are out there, how they are used, and what opportunities there are for institutional communications. I’ve met amazing people - Mitch Joel, Julien Smith and Michelle Sullivan - who have advised, provoked and inspired.

In the past few months, I’ve been revisiting and rebuilding my structural thinking and consulting skills.  The most recent training was last week.  I attended a fabulous 5-day Advanced training with Robert and Rosalind Fritz.  The importance and power of structure to the creative process and in storytelling was clearly evident. I always knew this training was key to my professional consulting practice.  Now I know it is key to being a good storyteller.

Today, I’m officially committing myself to the next step in my journey to create compelling content and learning how to share it in different ways.  Sure, I will continue to blog and do the stuff I’ve been doing, and, over the coming months I’ll be learning and building mastery [OK getting competent] with as many communications technologies and applications as I can.

This is a pretty big step for me. As those of you who know me will attest I’m no geek!  Here’s my starting point.  What technology is usable and what’s not!

Ouch!  And, it is a secondary choice to a primary choice to producing great, compelling stories that I can share. Standby.

You?  I’d love to hear about what you’re doing to build your storytelling and media skills?  What were your successes? What did you learn from your failures?  What can you recommend?

BTW: I’ve already started experimenting with my new camera [Canon S95] [no commercial relationship].  I’m still not working with the SLR  or video features, but I’m looking forward to that.  And, the scanner is plugged in and ready to go so that I can start a family project I’ve been thinking about for years.  An opportunity to experiment and learn to tell a different story in a new way…

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Deborah Hinton Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
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1 Comment to Storytelling, media & me

  • Lynn Harris says:
    August 24, 2011 at 9:34 am

    It’s fascinating to hear what you are into at the moment. I have occasionally wondered what you are working on these days and it sounds really interesting.
    Over the last 12 months or so I too have been thinking about story-telling. In one of the workshops that I run a few times per year I now start one of the sessions with the words “I’m going to tell you a story.” Unfailingly I immediately get everyone’s attention and as I talk you could hear a pin drop. We just love stories and they are such a memorable and powerful way to communicate. I’d love to get better at telling stories but I’m not quite sure how. I have heard of story-telling workshops. Perhaps I should find one.
    I’d be very interested to follow your progress in the work you are currently doing and act as a guinea pig if you ever need one.

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