Now that Europe can no longer lean on its big American brother, the spotlights have put it into full view. While the first reactions to the new world order from European leaders have been surprisingly positive, there is still a lot that needs to be fixed when it comes to the story of democracy in Europe. Here goes... Credits: TheMetaPicture.com Before we start We have highlighted a similar story for the US in this blogpost addressing the particulars of why America is now not

Now that America's society is getting hit, here's an outsider's view on what steps Americans need to take to finally become a true democracy again. Today, we're rewriting the story for America, just to inspire you to make it better. Buckle up for a wild ride. Here goes... A step before we walk... Super quick word before we begin. Forgive me if and when I point out things you may already know as an American. A European like me is also learning as I go, most of all from my many

"Script. Script. And Script." Alfred Hitchcock Image Credits: Riot Games and Fortiche (Arcane) Still reading? Okay, okay... I'll bite! This has been a huge question on gamer's minds for decades now: Why do so many game-to-film adaptations fail? And why are those that do succeed successful? If that Hitchcock 'script' quote didn't (fully) answer those questions, you better strap yourself in, because we're going to go through the entire lowdown, including those really, awkwardl

By Maggie Maris – Author My Journal & Rogier van Kralingen – Writer The Whole Story Every year around Christmas, we basically fall into two categories: those who love it and those who don’t. The misunderstanding is huge between those who cheerfully sing Christmas carols and those sitting dejected at the dinner table. At some point someone will say: " Christmas is fun, right? Why aren't you more cheerful?" and the mood will sour quickly after that. So, this Christmas stor

Compelling. That's what it all comes down to, building compelling narrative in storytelling. So, today we'll dive into the big 'Why' of storytelling, then quickly move to the fundamentals of narratives, following it up with inspiring practices, and finish it all with an artistic sheen. Without further delay, here we go... Storytelling Book Good storytelling is - and will always be - in demand The very first thing you need to know about storytelling - and that even the best s

Since at the moment all kinds of industries have problems recruiting the right people, I sometimes get asked if there are storytelling lessons and tricks that can be used to make the recruitment process better. We'll jump into it immediately and I'll share the best insights and practices - and a few real practical solutions - on how storytelling can help you be a more interesting organization that attracts the right talent. Let's dive in! Blue Steel Never Fails To Impress 1

Move over Greta Thunberg, the real - and very much needed - change will come from the answer to this question: Who will become the next Apple in the sustainable field? And the irony is that it's not about green. Innovation is back as the key word. The whole trick will be to make it super practical, so I call this burgeoning trend Seamless & Down to Earth . Right now, with still a way-too-small group of people living sustainably, the real green revolution will not come from c

In Stranger Things we follow a tight knit group of youngsters in the '80's who encounter things that are not of this world. Still having flexible minds, they are the only ones able to get to the bottom of the frightening mysteries, and they do so with flair plus a whole lot of funny bickering. I cannot begin to describe how well executed this series is. So, let's break it down storytelling-style. We'll skip the usual suspects like embracing friction and building a journey ,

Sometimes you can't seem to start, or you are stuck, you run into a writer's block or something else is in the way of your storytelling or you as the storyteller. No worries, we've got your back. For your convenience we'll release two checklists - one for Branding, Product, Service, Organization, Cultural & Corporate Storytelling and this article on Art, Fiction, Character, Film, Novel, Literature & Poetry Storytelling as the second. Just go through the tips and tricks, and

The Socrates Method is the practice where you keep asking questions until there are no more questions to be asked and everything you need to know about a subject has come to light. The premise is that the answer is already there, it already exists... you just have to keep asking the right questions until it appears. And it's that method that we'll use to kick start your storytelling. For your convenience we'll release two checklists - this one on Branding, Organization, Cult

On October 6th 2008, from a landline at the Waldorf Estoria hotel in New York, my dad phoned me up and said: "I don't know how long they will keep this line open, so if I get disconnected, know that your mom and I are okay. But there is total panic here. Cell phones are dead, televisions are on... the market has crashed. Biggest downturn ever. So listen to me carefully, here's what we are going to do... we're going to write a smart, short book called Recession Marketing, and

For years now, a debate has been raging about purpose-driven thinking. This concept of 'purpose' for companies seems well-intentioned and successful. However, the word "purpose" is also often used to sell hot air. So today we look at purpose-driven branding and marketing through the lens of the storytelling: is it an effective story? Under what circumstances can it be trusted? We'll get right to the gist of it all: the greatest gap is between 'saying' and 'doing'. To find out

Just like there is a consensus why Super Mario World tops most the lists of the best video game that has ever been made, and we agree on the brilliance of the holy trinity A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now and The Shawshank Redemption, we also know collectively there is one action movie that tops them all: Die Hard. They may not be your personal favorites. Maybe not even make it to your own top ten. But we kinda agree that on average, these works of art are the best in their ki

Apparently, America is now a kingdom. How did it get here? I offer Americans an outsider view from those who’ve lived under kings. The honest kind that might hurt. And it’s all about the story you tell yourself. You know he'd make a good president... How did we get here? Even now that the dust has settled, to those who have actually read it , The Supreme Court immunity decision is still beyond shocking . Or is it? Many people across the world have recognized for some time no

Creative endeavors are extraordinary hard to do. So, sometimes, us creatives and artists get blocked. We call it 'Writer's Block' but it can be applied to all arts, from visual to music to writing, film-making, photography... the lot. Whatever the art or creative profession, the story is simple. We get stuck, we get blocked. So, how do we become unstuck? The answer is: getting our lives in order. In other words, writer's block has nothing to do with your art. But everything w

The power of the mind is truly phenomenal. And one of the most powerful things to do with this power, is to visualize outcomes before they are there. Athletes do it, just before they need to perform, and win because of it. Actors do it just before they step on stage, and nail their performance due to it. People in burnout and depression do it, and find themselves healing quicker. And you too, can use visualization to get an incredible creative project or story out there. Like

Today, a simple post with a series of very important definitions and descriptions related to storytelling, as follow up to The Nine Very Best Quotes on Storytelling , and their deeper meaning. All descriptions below are an excerpt of The Whole Story - The Ultimate Guide to Storytelling , and are my own definitions based on storytelling theory and my own experience in crafting stories. The wordings are meant for all types of story, including novels, documentaries, film and gen

A while back I had the pleasure and honor of attending Story masterclasses by the incredible Robert McKee. For those of you who don't know him: he is the master behind Hollywood. All, and I do mean all the greatest directors, actors, scriptwriters... hell even your average gopher owe him a debt of gratitude for his lessons on how to make compelling stories in film. So for this one-off blog post, focused on only the very best and most useful explainers to the best quotes on s

It's all the rage in certain, mostly affluent circles: manifesting. For some, it's a holy grail. For others, pure nonsense. The truth lies as always, somewhere in the middle. So today you will get the brutally honest reality about something that is real, and that really does work... just not always in the way many people will tell you. Ready? Now let's start by calming your mind... Hmmmm.... Image by Lance Gambis, find t-shirts and wall pictures here : The premise of manifest

So much about our mental health is about physicality . Solutions to stress are no different. If we want to reduce stress in our lives we focus on the causes of it. That's very much good of course! Yet so much of our stress can already be relieved if we accept that it is a physical thing too. Your body is just producing as little too much cortisol. The good news is that cortisol can be reduced instantly. How? By doing explicitly physical things. Such as... Mental Health is Phy