When a story takes you somewhere

This article explores the transformative power of storytelling, featuring insights from Shobha Viswanath and Renu Narayan. It emphasizes how stories allow individuals to imagine different lives and connect with audiences.
Why it matters
It highlights the cultural and psychological importance of narrative in education and personal development.
If you look up the meaning of storytelling, you will probably find that it is simply described as the art of telling a story. But storytelling is much more than putting words together. A good story can make us laugh, feel nervous, imagine another world or even see ourselves differently.
It can happen around a dining table, in a classroom, through a book or on a stage. The storyteller may be a parent, teacher, writer, actor or simply someone with a story to share.
But what makes storytelling work? And why do some stories stay with us long after they are over?
Shobha Viswanath, co-founder and publishing director of Karadi Tales, once turned a familiar question on its head.
“What do you want to become when you grow up?”
Her suggestion was to ask a different question instead:
“What have you become after you have grown up?”
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