The Power of Emotion in Telling Your Story

When it comes to storytelling, I have worked with people who embrace their anger, wrestle with it and write about it before and after it is processed (the joy of editing).

I have worked with people who want to avoid even the mention of anger or any ‘negative’ emotions.

We do so many things to cherry-pick which emotions we avoid, which we embody, which ones we deride, and which ones we seek even at great cost to ourselves (love, anyone?).

THE ROLE OF EMOTIONS IN CONNECTION

Here’s what I learned when working as a documentary filmmaker.

The characters who are the most passionate, or if you prefer, most energized, by what they love, are the most interesting on camera.

We humans respond to strong emotions.

We like to see these emotions come out of the screen, be it Zoom or YouTube, and jump off the page.

Yet, when we sit down as our ‘professional’ selves we try to strip out all emotion.

When talking about our business or art we think we have to turn off our emotions and enter the white room in our minds, look at a blank page and start creating something that speaks to everyone who encounters our work.

Here’s the thing. Nobody wants to read or listen to anything written in this emotionless white room.

PASSION IS COMPELLING, ENGAGING, & SCROLL STOPPING

Often, the birthplace of our passion is frustration.

We see something that we want that we don’t have.

We imagine an emotion that we want to feel that we don’t feel.

We see the change we wish to make in our lives, in the lives of our clients and in the world and we experience the obstacles to keep us from making that change.

EMOTIONS ENERGIZE OUR WAY FORWARD

Frustration not only energizes our forward movement, but it can also be a creative powerhouse.

In February I was doing research for a client, finding examples of compelling origin stories.

In that research, I heard Dr. Dorceta Taylor share her origin story on the Environmental Studies and Sciences Podcast. Dr. Taylor is a professor of Environmental Justice at Yale University. During her interview, she outlined an experience with a professor that deeply impacted her career and the service she now does around diversity and inclusion in the academic field of environmental sciences.

“When I first heard the idea that people of color or blacks are not interested in the environment, it was stunning. It was shocking. But it never left my mind and it drove a whole body and series of research and ideas.

— Dr. Dorceta Taylor, Professor Yale University

Frustration is the birthplace of some of the most interesting art and ideas. I see frustration as anger energized into something good.

LEVERAGE THE POWER OF EMOTION

Let your frustration be your guide. Let it inform the problems you try to solve and the solutions you create as a result.

And for those of you who have work you wish to market and ideas you wish to share, let your audience in on this emotion.

Tell us how you came to do what you are doing now. Dig deep and reveal what really gave you the energy and will to do what you are doing now. Share your passion.