Storytelling is one of the true lost arts of the digital age. For years, people relied on storytellers to provide them with news, information, and entertainment. Now, with so many sources for information at our fingertips, the few stories we are entertained with in our lives are played out in front of us on screens of varying sizes. People fail to realize just how important and powerful the art form of telling stories can truly be.
Historically, stories were used to pass down historical records from generation to generation. In an age where there was little use for written language, storytellers would spin the tales of important persons and events in the history of a specific area. Many of today’s history books include the information from some of these tales that were developed hundreds and thousands of years ago.
Another very powerful aspect of a story is its ability to drive home a specific point. Readers connect with a good storyteller, as they take the words they are presented with, weaving them into images in their minds. The emotion and drama that is set forth in a powerful story will leave the audience with a clear picture of the events that had unfolded.
Finally, telling a story feeds creativity. As one listens to a story or begins to share a story of their own with someone else, their imagination may start to run wild and they might create their own additions or variations on a tale. If a tale is told well, the ideas that are presented within a story can be reworked and reused for hundreds of different purposes.
There are many different places where the power of storytelling can be put into use. Stories can lull restless children to sleep or hold the attention of an audience during a conference. A story can be used to demonstrate customer service principles to a staff in a training meeting or to explain a moral principle to someone who is heading down the wrong path. Stories have been used since language was created and they will continue to be a part of our society and culture forever, as long as the art form is not allowed to die.