Portland: Power of The Story
Posted: July 23rd, 2010 | Author: Colin | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Twitter. YouTube. Facebook. There will be others. Some will succeed, others will fall off the face of the earth well before a billion post a picture on their profile. A common thread runs through the new media boom and it’s no secret what it is.
From religious texts to the trail of tears, events and knowledge have been passed down through the power of story. At the heart of stories are plots and characters and suspense, yes, but a story would not be, without a person telling it.
While societies will continue to divide based upon varying sources of information, it will be individuals and the stories they tell that will captivate and move diverse audiences. This century isn’t just about how flashy, erotic, or accessible information is, but how credible and captivating people are when they tell stories. In the end, it is individuals who make and end wars, oppress and break free, and it is their ability to tell a story which makes them memorable.
The ironic part of this reality is that we all have amazing stories, but most remain inside.
The Nwisc program has taught me to dig for those stories and to paint a picture capturing the essence and beauty of that person’s experience. A good film editor can make a boring story interesting. A great journalist can write well with little to go off of. These skills will remain to be sought after and will continue on, but it is the stand-alone story, the person speaking from their heart, without Final Cut Pro behind them, that will have the most impact, and have the potential to carry their message forward through word of mouth. It is these individuals and their personal stories that will shape history more than anything else. Yes, even more than facebook 
-Colin
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