The power of stories.

Remember when you were a child, how lovely it was to be read to? Tucked up in bed, or sitting on the floor, drifting into a world beyond the classroom. Stories are woven into our DNA.

A simple Google search will reveal pages of articles on why reading to children is good for developing literacy. But it does more than that. It exercises the imagination, helps to develop empathy and emotional intelligence and more. This fun little BBC article explains  Why is storytelling important to children

I remember my uncle making up stories about cars & relaying them to me with all the relevant sound effects – magical! Stories have the power to transport you to other worlds, different situations. They can tug on your heart strings, influence your mood and even your behaviour. 

Sit outside a cafe for a while and you’ll probably start to wonder about the people around you. What are their stories? Where have they come from? Where will they go when they’ve finished their coffee? Why do they look happy, sad, cross? Stories connect us, they enable us to engage, to cooperate, to keep ourselves safe. If you’re interested in reading a bit more about the science and technicalities, this is an excellent article by Paul J Zak for Greater Good Magazine – How Stories Change the Brain

So, we know that stories are powerful. If you think about the last TV commercial that captured your imagination, the chances are that it told a story and wasn’t just sell, sell, sell. Here’s a great example of an advert that tells a story, from BBH London (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) for Audi. Not only that, it connects on an emotional level through both sound and picture.

Storytelling rooted in authenticity invites both engagement and trust. That is why storytelling is a key element of marketing today. This excellent article by Steve Hemsley in Marketing Week, illustrates the point beautifully. Brand storytelling

I’ve been telling stories all my life. For the last 25 years, it’s how I’ve earned my living as a voice over – and I’m passionate about it. You might think I’m a bit crazy, but a great script makes me very excited! I can’t wait to dive into the voice over booth to play with it. But before I do that, I make sure I’ve understood it fully first. I want to be clear about the message that my client wants to communicate. What’s the outcome that the story is designed to inspire, enable or provoke? Because that informs the voice over. If a script engages me, then I can turbo boost it to engage its audience.

My relationships, both personal and professional, are built on trust. On being genuine, authentic, interested, empathetic. On listening and learning. Oh and and being just a little bit magical, but that’s anther story! Life’s too short to live it any other way. The clients, brands and scripts I work with tell me that this is reflected in my voice. That doesn’t mean there are no fun projects, far from it! I love a good giggle and humour comes built in! This little word cloud was formed when I asked a few people from different areas of my life to sum me up in a few adjectives…call it the Story of a Starling, if you like!

I’d love to tell your story. Drop me a line and let’s get to work!

(PS. The weaving in the title picture for this blog? My first proper sewing project at school. It is, of course, a book bag!)