Why does Storytelling matter?
Everyone has stories to tell. When we get together with friends and family, we share stories. Our favorite shows are driven by stories. Even reality TV is! There's something powerful about a story that draws us in.
There's a reason that people online now ask for a "story time" when they hear a tidbit of something that intrigues them. People want to hear stories. If you're doing any sort of work that impacts people, you most likely have stories worth sharing. Stories are timeless. There's a reason that people still read Romeo & Juliet, Beowulf, or The Lord of the Rings. These are stories that move peoples hearts, grab their attention, and inspire. So why wouldn't we want to share the stories of the impact we're having in the work that we do? If you're not convinced, here's five reasons why storytelling matters.
Shows We're Not Alone
Stories help to show that we're not alone in our struggles. We're not the only one who have had certain experiences. When we hear a story of someone who has gone through a similar life experience, we're reminded that we're surrounded by people with similar experiences. Regardless of the outcome of the story we're hearing, there is encouragement in knowing that you're not the only one struggling with something. When we share stories of life change in someone's life, we show people that there's hope even when it feels like they're all alone. A story can be the thing that those struggling look towards and hang on to in order to keep moving. One of the most powerful things someone can hear is "you're not alone." It creates a community where people can encourage one another as they relate through their goal of overcoming their struggles. Additionally, if your organization focuses on helping people through certain types of struggles, these stories help to connect people to your organization so that they can seek out the same story of hope in their lives. It also can create a roadmap for someone to follow as they work through the struggle. Even people who may not have had the same struggles can relate, as they can be reminded that everyone is dealing with something in their lives. Your stories can bring hope!
Milestones to look back on during the hard times
Stories provide a reminder we can look back on during hard times. Anytime we are doing any type of work, we're going to come into hard times. These are the types of times where we feel like we're not having an impact, all of our work is in vain, and it's pointless to continue working. For me, this comes into play in the creative process. I'll come up with an idea and immediately get excited about it. I'll start laying the groundwork and my excitement will grow. The problem is that the time between the groundwork and the finished product is a vast one filled with countless hours of no return. I'll feel like the project is trash, and maybe so is my talent. The more I work on the project, the more I begin to doubt that it's a worthwhile pursuit. Eventually, I'll start to feel like it's a bad idea, and possibly even question if I should even be working on it at all. If it's a project I continue to work on, though, things start to come together and I start to feel better until I finally get excited about it again and finally release it. The thing that frequently carries me during the time when I feel like "this is trash, and so am I," is that I look to other stories to be inspired. Either stories of past projects I've worked on, or stories of other creatives who have experienced the same cycle.
The Bible talks about the idea of setting up monuments after significant moments. Genesis 28:10-22 talks about Jacob setting up stones to commemorate a powerful vision he received while he slept. He didn't want to forget that moment, so he created a physical monument to act as a reminder. When we tell stories, it's another way where we can celebrate the work that has happened within our organization and create a reminder for our future. If you regularly tell stories, you have a documented history of the work you were doing during that season, and a reminder as to what was effective. As your organization grows, you have a form of history you can pass down to inspire future generations and share the successes of the past.
Gives transparency
As an organization, you exist because of the support of other people. Regardless whether that is through direct donations or people using your services, you wouldn't be doing the work that you're doing without the support of other people. Storytelling allows people to get a peak inside the impact you're having and helps them to see how you're using the funds they've given to you. People want to be part of a larger story. If they see that you're using their funds in a way that is having a positive impact, they're more inclined to want to get involved. There's so much skepticism in today's world as a result of misuse of funds and organizations abusing their resources, so sharing stories of impact helps to show people how exactly you're using the money you've been given. As we share with our supporters and fans, it leads directly into the next point.
Share the Impact
When you tell stories, you create an opportunity for those that support you to share with their friends. There's a reason why inspiring stories go viral - people share them with their friends, who then share it with their friends. I'm not saying your stories will go viral, but what I am saying is that people are moved by a good story, and when they get excited by that story, they can't help but share it. If you're not telling stories, then you're not providing your supporters with things to share with their friends. This gives new people the opportunity to find your organization and jump on board. A friend sharing a video with me gives me a much higher likelihood of watching it than if I just stumble upon it myself. I've come across some really cool organizations throughout the years as a result of a friend sharing a story, and I've even ended up becoming supporters of them as a result. Sharing your stories allows other people to get excited about what you're doing, and they can get involved as a result.
Reminds You of your Purpose
Storytelling reminds us why we do the work that we do. There are so many logistical needs in running an organization that it can be easy to forget why we got into our roles in the first place. In my years of creating videos for organizations, it was the times that I would tell a story of life change that I recalled why I wanted to support organizations. I enjoy making videos, but I get fired up when I see people's lives being changed. We need to make time to tell the stories, if not only for our own mental wellbeing. If we get too lost in the day to day logistics, we lose sight of the larger vision and importance of the work we're doing. We can feel like it's all meaningless, like we're not having an impact, or just doing busywork. The stories, which should stem from the relationships we've built, allows us to be reminded that even the everyday logistical work has greater purpose.
When we share the stories from our organization, we allow the work we're doing to spread further and builds the impact we're having. We allow the stories to encourage both ourselves and our supporters. If you're not sharing your stories, you're not making use of one of the most effective forms of communication.
If you want more inspiring and practical storytelling advice, make sure you subscribe and like this video. Also, did I miss anything? Drop a comment for another reason why you see the importance of storytelling!
