The Blog

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from a conversation with Kylie Slavik, Director of Storytelling at Conscious Marketer. Tune into the entire conversation here.

[KYLIE] "...

When I was nine years old, I'd sneak into my father's study, wrestle his old Olympia typewriter out of the closet, and type out stories.

Each page was one sentence that I would later add an illustration to and then staple all the sheets together into a "book."

At first, the stories I typed were me...

It's the most important question any worthwhile story must answer.

Steven Pressfield defines theme as the answer to this question, "What's this d*mn thing about?"

What's theme? It's the single idea that holds a story together and provides it with meaning.

Don't confuse your story's theme with the...

I was introduced to Homer's Odyssey in the 7th grade. I read and reread it many times, captivated by the bravery and cunning of Odysseus and the fantastic trials he and his crew endured.

The story arc of The Odyssey follows the hero's journey. It's a tale about someone called to an adventure who un...

Story is how we humans have always made sense of ourselves, our situation, and each other. To be a human being (and a difference-maker) is to be a storyteller.

What story are you telling yourself about yourself and what's happening today?

Stories provide the way in when you want to develop your po...

 I'm a weirdo.

Thinking back, even my earliest memories were about searching for something I couldn't quite define or describe and looking for signposts and maps to direct me there.

What about you? Do you find yourself in a coddiwomple? Purposely stepping toward a vague or unknown destinatio...

What the heck does delight have to do with making a difference?

Plenty.

Human beings are hardwired to be attracted by and embrace delight. Unexpected pleasure or joy is what makes moments memorable, even mundane or challenging ones. 

Ever had an especially great server at a restaurant? My wife an...

Human beings have always made sense of themselves, their circumstances, and each other through narrative. I'm telling myself a story about myself, about what's going on around me, about you, and even telling myself a story about the story you're telling yourself about me.

It all gets very complicat...

In media res, Latin for “in the middle of things” is a literary device employed by storytellers across time and genres. An early example is Homer’s The Iliad, which begins in the thick of the Trojan War. A more recent example is Martin Scorsese’s film, Raging Bull, which opens with the protagonist, ...

I felt a slight tug as the passenger-side mirror of the blue Subaru brushed against the fabric of my running shirt.

It didn’t register right away. I remember looking up and seeing a “Love Your Mother” sticker with an illustration of the earth on the car’s bumper and the driver’s outstretched hand w...

Insight and inspiration for flying higher in the difference only you can make from guests who have appeared on Creative on Purpose Live.

This week's wisdom comes from bestselling author and creator of the Story Skills Workshop, Bernadette Jiwa. Click here to tune into our entire conversation.

[Sco...

During my career as a blues guitarist, I experienced the privilege of meeting many of my musical heroes. It happened with enough frequency that some of my musician friends call me the Forrest Gump of the blues.

I think they mean that good-naturedly...

Anyway, during a festival appearance in the 19...