See a photo of MaryLou, her bio, Part 1 of this Q&A, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.
Q&A with MaryLou Wakefield, Question 5:
Q: The storytelling movement seems to be growing explosively. Why now? What is it about this moment in human history and culture that makes storytelling so resonant with so many people right now?
A: A great question and a great metaphor. I’m not a scholar who’s
studied the literature, or written in academic journals about this subject; I’m just a keen observer and active participant in the changing cultural landscape. A lot seems to be exploding at this time in history. We’re in a period of huge upheaval and massive change. People are literally rebelling in the streets against what isn’t working for them — corrupt political regimes, unscrupulous media moguls, and the world economy, come to mind. Broken political, economic and entrepreneurial systems are being discarded all over the world. On the other side of the equation — art, music, writing, and publishing are also exploding and in ways we haven’t seen before. Independent producers of all forms of art are using new tools and new channels of distribution to get their work out into the world. They’re sourcing funding from fans, producing their own art, recording their own music and sharing it with the world on their own. Incredible.
But there’s a paradox. We’re seeing an unprecedented explosion of information on the Internet and through social-media platforms, but more information doesn’t equal more intelligence, more meaning, or more connection. And that’s what people seem to be hungry for. Meaning through context, and connection through emotion. So, perhaps story and storytelling is enjoying popularity at this particular time in history because of its ability to connect us to each other. And in a world gone mad with explosions of all sorts, perhaps what we’re all searching for is to simply feel a visceral connection to another person, to relate to their struggle and celebrate their journey.