Stories Create Space for Readers to Think In

Don’t tell people what to think.       Create a space for them to think in. This week I stumbled upon Paula Caproni’s insight into the essence of communicating effectively by telling powerful stories. Something shifted, something deep in the root of my storytelling toolkit. Can you picture communication as preparing to welcome guests [...]

Instinct to survive

We are survivors. We wear winter in Winnipeg like a badge of honour. The rules are: water flows down hill, in winter rivers freeze and geese fly south. If you break the rules of winter, you pay a price. Or, do you start a new trend? Despite friendly Manitobans like the little grey-haired couple that [...]

Following the Tribe: Don’t make me think!

What happens to make an idea blaze up like a raging grass fire or 12-alarm catastrophe? What conditions have to exist to give birth to a magical viral trend that infects the human imagination? Fire and water both move along the lines of least resistance. Social alliances, the common ground among people, move like that [...]