For those of us in a creative job (and who isn't these days) anxiety is part of the work. Creative expression always comes with vulnerability: you open yourself and your work up to the judgement of others. Naturally this creates anxiety. That's why many creative people are more prone to depression and burnout. In this blog we explain why that's okay and how it can be used as a force for good. Creative Anxiety Relief In today's world we are all producers of our own content. W

A few years back I was at this art exhibition that had attracted hundreds of people. The main artwork was a big block of simple perplex wood that was painted white. That was it. Must have costed somewhere between 20 and 30 euros. Maybe close to an hour to built, including the painting. The price? Five thousand euros. And in front of all of those visitors, I exploded. Art, Telepathy & Storytelling When someone asks me why storytelling is important my standard answer is that go

Storytelling is always about the journey, never about the destination Storytelling is about embracing friction, not avoiding it Storytelling is about universal emotions, target groups simply don’t exist Storytelling is about building character, step by step, brick by brick Storytelling is about honesty and truth, not about sales and marketing Storytelling is about losing ego… and having fun doing it Storytelling is about maintaining values without compromise Storytelling is a

When you're at the beginning of your storytelling practice you can often feel like it's not your place to tell your story. You compare yourself to others who (in your perception) do a far better job. And you feel like you will never reach that point of creative mastery. The opposite is true however: it's that self-doubt, insecurity and vulnerability - creative anxiety - that actually makes your story worthwhile. Your story is needed. Today we discuss why. Quick Storytelling L

It’s one of the great questions of art: do I make art for myself or for my audience? The answer is both. Art without an audience is like George Berkeley’s tree falling in the forest without anyone seeing it: does it exist at all? Yet having an audience without artistic soul is shallow. So today we make the first blog about audiences and what you need to know about them. And it all starts with the difference between empathy and sympathy. Quick Storytelling Lesson on Audience W

Storytelling is all about emotion. I mean, 'duh', of course it is. Yet I have to mention it because so many people still get this wrong in storytelling. Let's break down why exactly this is, how it should work and what you can do to make better emotional connections in your storytelling. Quick Storytelling Lesson on Emotions Without emotional friction a story is not memorable. We relate to each other's feelings, not to facts, figures and functional forms. We remember those l

All good stories are always about the journey and never about the destination. The end goal of what you do or say is important of course. But it's not what people will remember. The road towards that ending is what it's all about because it involves all the trials, tribulations, frictions and conflict people will relate too. So, let's have a closer look at how this works in practice. Quick Storytelling Lesson on The Journey Epic story The Lord of The Rings is about a group of

The first and most important thing in any story – whether it’s a film, video, book, brand, blog, musical, art, scientific or corporate story – is a little thing called conflict. For those new to storytelling this may come as a shock. But it actually makes a lot of sense. Humans thrive through overcoming frictions and obstacles. Quick Storytelling Lesson on Friction The best things that human beings have ever created all come from some type of friction, conflict, disagreement

Even after GDPR, governments, businesses, consumer and civilian rights organizations are still failing at online privacy, and the mood around AI pioneers seems to be to shoot first and pay for the consequences later, no one seems to know what to do to protect us all against the theft and use of our data... whether it be by criminals, governments or tech-companies. Yet in this emotional discussion we are missing a strikingly obvious solution - not to mention a golden opportuni

My dear scientists, artists, writers, musicians, politicians, scientists, Instagram celebs, civil servants, marketers, investors, bloggers and vloggers, soldiers, nurses, actors, directors, game developers, caretakers, photographers, coders, bus drivers, painters, journalists, entrepreneurs and parking valets with a dream… The world needs your story. Why? It’s because all stories are inherently inspiring. Everyone Has a Story to Tell You may think the opposite. What’s inspir

Just like any good team, The Green Team make mistakes, especially now in survival mode. When that happens, I sharpen my pen, and let us have it. So, strap yourselves in boys and girls. We have to talk about the teams’ failed reaction to this pandemic and how to get back on message. Pandemic Story Although I'm not someone who particularly leans to one direction, I do strongly feel that the sustainable and conscious corner is also my team. The Green Team, if you will. Lately ho

Burnout Recovery & Creative Anxiety In a brilliant Christmas episode of the hit tv-series Community , our group of students reaches the conclusion that trying to force everyone to smile during the darkest time of year, makes our dark feelings even more pronounced. In this time of worldwide crisis I felt a strong need to emphasize this and again tell you: it's okay to feel bad in these incredibly stressful moments. Admitting to this can help you find the light. Yet this artic

It’s crisis... now you have a choice! The Red Pill or the Blue Pill? We’ve narrowed it down to help you choose. Good luck!!! Matrix Story - Red Pill or Blue Pill? The Red Pill – The Red Pill means you will face reality. This may sound logical and wise. But do remember that in reality, reality really sucks most of the time. I mean, Neo was cool and all… but do you really want to get the crap beaten out of you while saving a world full of happy Blue-Pill-takers? Is it really w

The world after lock-down. Where people turn out to be such fascinating creatures. Some spread conspiracies, while others believe love or meditation can actually stop viruses. And between all the heart ache of patients and economies, dolphins returning to their (not our...) coasts and some brilliant gallows humor from our comedians, we all rushed to get toilet paper. This begs the question; what will really change? Trust and Truth in Storytelling The theory goes that it takes