Once upon a time, I studied the STORY gathering.
Continuing our saga of great story-building resources...I give you STORY Gathering. Part web-resource, part-IRL conference, STORY Gathering calls themselves “an uncommon creative community for storytellers, artists and dreamers who believe that stories matter.” (They do not, however, believe the oxford comma matters.) Think of STORY Gathering as Ted Talks expressly for creatives.
Each year, the STORY organizers host a two-day conference meant to inspire and instruct. During the event, a variety of speakers from many backgrounds share their stories about how they’re influencing the minds and hearts of many to change the world. Workshops and local gatherings are also starting to pop up, giving STORY longer legs than the original, onsite event.
Less concerned with study of the technical elements required for a story, STORY Gathering instead spins perspectives to creatives who already understand story structure. One of my favorite features on their website is the Watch area. Here, you can peak into a conference as a few of their past speakers tell stories. Topics like: How to Use Your Art to Spark Cultural Conversations sit beside The Effect of Comparison in the Creative Community and even a Panel Discussion on the Role of Artists and Storytellers in Racial Reconciliation. Recently, STORY Gathering launched a podcast with even more story-centric insights.
Though I’ve not yet attended the conference event, I’ve poured over (and shared!) many of the videos and podcasts. I am excited to see this group grow and tell their own story of gathering creative influencers who want to change the world. Not a bad gig, right?