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

Throughout the ages, our lives have been filled with constant trials and tribulations. As a result, our entire biological make up is geared towards dealing with adversity. So, as a physiological necessity, our minds do not recognize things that do not hold challenges. The brain literary does not register adversity-less messages: no neurons are firing, no sparks are connecting, no memories are formed. In storytelling terms it means our minds are built to spot friction and conf

If you want to be successful in life, there are basically two paths you can follow. One is the ambitious path where you push yourself: 'Work Hard, Play Hard'. The other is the introverted path where you pull success towards you: 'Be Like Water', to quote Bruce Lee. Both require hard work to reach. Yet only the latter brings you the kind of peace that heals and prevents depression and burnout, and alleviates creative anxieties. Let's explore. Qi Gong and Kung Fu Are Always Rec

Kaizen is the Japanese word for improvement. Kai stands for ‘Change’ and Zen for ‘Good’. We often hear it to describe a common theme in Japan's business practice; a lot of small steps will lead to big changes. Yet, it is much more. It’s the perfect analogy for how to get out of artistic anxieties, writer's block, creative resistance, and even when you are (creatively) burned out. You take a thousand tiny steps to reach that one big goal. One small step at a time. Artists and

Right now, you are in survival mode. Your body and mind are embracing your lizard and monkey brains to rewire a few things for the better. By now you'll also have noticed how excruciating that process is. It's called a burnout for a reason. And to add a little more sarcasm here: burnout ain't for the faint of heart. You have a long, hard road ahead of you. The less you think and the more you feel, the shorter the road. So, be like an animal and embrace your survival mode full

One of the strongest solutions to overcoming creative anxiety is the ability to connect to the now. This means your thoughts don't drift away to the past or the future but stay in the exact moment you are experiencing this instant, in complete focus. Learning how to do this is will not only help you with your recovery, in time it will help you reach that coveted state of flow in your life and creative work. So, let's explore! In The Pipe All Right Almost all mindfulness cours

Why are artists more prone to creative anxiety and even burnout symptoms than others? It's simple really, artists are both more vulnerable in their characters, as well as putting themselves in more vulnerable positions. It may sound strange, but from a psychical perspective, artists experience the same as soldiers, policemen or health workers with trauma: they have been put in a situation where there body makes a lot of stress hormones . In the artists case, this is often vol

This burnout thing… why do I feel so bad? That’s the question we all ask ourselves. I can’t answer this for you of course. What I can do however is that your bad feeling really is a paradox. You need to feel bad. It’s crucial for your recovery and growth. Feeling bad is your oxygen, your fuel, your signal, your fire and your primary incentive to change things. Embrace the fact you feel bad or anxious or stuck as the signal that's telling you how to get back out. In other word