How to Learn & Practice Storytelling
You don’t learn storytelling.
You simply move out of the way.
‘Huh?? What do you mean by that?’
It means you are already a great storyteller.
It’s a built-in feature of the mind.
Think about it like this.
If you have ever gossiped, then you are a great storyteller.
If you have ever whined, then you are a great storyteller.
And if you have ever told anyone about your day, then you have raw storytelling skills.
The only thing we need to do is become cognizant of our gifts.
The sooner that we become cognizant, the better the world will be.
Because when you are a conscious storyteller, that’s when society is impacted in a positive way.
How to ‘Learn’ Storytelling
Learning storytelling is about becoming aware of the stories you already tell.
Normally, we think we are not a great storyteller because of our interpretation of the phrase.
What do you think of when thinking of a ‘storyteller’?
‘Hm… I think of someone who is spending a lot time painting the details of the setting, character and conflict.’
Sure, those are features of stories.
But that’s not the purpose.
The purpose of storytelling is to express truth.
Have you ever met that person who is clearly lying or misinformed, acting like they are telling the truth?
From their worldview, they really feel like what they are saying is accurate.
Well, that person is telling a story.
If you look closer, you should observe your biases.
How Tik Tok Taught Me About Storytelling
There are a few social media apps that I looked down on.
It was almost autopilot.
‘What was one of the social media’s that you looked down on?’
Tik Tok.
When I was first introduced to Tik Tok, I thought it was one of the most ridiculous things.
All these random pranks.
Awkward challenges.
And goofy behavior by adults.
Imagine my surprise when some intelligent people told me that they use Tik Tok to learn.
Tik Tok?
Yeah right!
Immediately, I waved it off.
Didn’t trust it.
Those smart people sent some links my way.
That’s when I saw what they meant.
There were some Tik Tok creators talking about real estate, Bitcoin, investing, relationship advice, and much more.
My biases blinded me from the possibility of Tik Tok being useful to some people.
However, simply by acknowledging a bias and bringing clarity to it, I was able to:
- Understand the nuances of the app.
- Effortlessly tell a story about my bias.
The Mind is Built for Stories
To learn storytelling, one of the first things to do is:
- Introspect
You probably thought I was going to suggest a book.
Books will help, yes.
But the smartest thing you can do is learn about yourself.
If you have no clue where to look, then look at your flaws.
Your flaws are the best place to learn storytelling.
‘What types of flaws??’
Here are a 3:
- Embarrassing moments
- Regrets
- Biases
‘Geez man, can’t I talk about the good moments from my life?’
Nah…
That’s like saying, how about I go to a movie and just watch good things happen to the characters…
Whether we are capable of articulating it or not, we watch shows and movies to see what bad stuff happens to the characters.
If they got out of the bad stuff, that’s great!
But if there is no bad stuff, that’s not great.
Therefore, to learn storytelling, embrace the darkness.
How to Practice Storytelling
Now for the moment of truth:
Practice.
Just like any other skillset out there, you only get better with practice.
Not practice every now and then.
I’m talking about the type of practice that is integrated into your life.
‘How do I practice storytelling?’
There is the private method and public method.
The private method is when you tell a story in your car ride.
You can only make it 1 minute long.
All you need is a character, conflict, and lesson.
The public method is when you tell stories in conversations.
Even if others are not fully paying attention, proceed on regardless.
View it as exercising your storytelling muscle.
Then there is a hybrid of private and public.
Where you record in private and then make it public.
Sort of like recording a storytelling podcast on your own time.
Then releasing it to your audience on a public space.
Bottom line?
Practice.
Consume Stories
Thus far, we talked about looking in & practicing.
Another way to learn how to tell stories is by consuming stories.
If a person is constantly consuming content on carpentry.
Then this person will eventually understand the language of carpentry.
Whether they pick up the tools or not…
They understand the language of the field.
Don’t underestimate how important it is to understand the language of a field.
That shows who is on the verge of learning the field.
I’m sure you understand how annoying it is when you go to Home Depot to pick up an item.
And the worker talks your ear off with details and labels that you’ve never heard of.
Language alters perception.
Well, if you keep consuming stories, then you’ll notice recurring patterns.
- You’ll see how a story is set up and unfolds.
- The type of characters to play around with.
- When the story is dragging on and much more.
So, consume stories on your media of choice.
Level Up Your Storytelling Game
Storytelling is a powerful skill.
You are built with this skill set.
Now it’s a game of becoming aware.
The more aware you become, the better you can influence others.
Just like your mind is built to think in stories.
Other people’s minds think in stories too!
However, they are simply unaware.
Well, make them aware by telling great tales yourself.
- Look at the person across the mirror.
- Practice.
- Consume stories of others.
These 3 acts will put you ahead of the herd!
Looking for short stories to consume to level up your storytelling game?
Then be sure to check out the ArmaniTalks Short Stories Collection!
404 short stories to level up your creativity & communication skills
GET HERE
– ArmaniTalks 
