We were designed by a creator to be creative and if you want to shine, you need to find the thing you love to do and do that.
Those are just slightly-paraphrased words of wisdom from Taylor Robinson, the guest on episode 9 of the Discover Grow Shinecast. You can find the media player below the photo.
Creativity and storytelling are a big part of this episode, but we sort of take a macro look at creativity and storytelling and then dive into how those relate to problem-solving, why kindness matters, and finding the thing that makes you shine and then going for it.
Taylor Robinson is a filmmaker and storyteller and owner of Six Foot Five Productions.
Taylor’s production company focuses on documentaries and marketing-oriented films, videos and commercials for corporations and nonprofits around the world. Taylor is also the co-founder of Arc Stories, which produces live storytelling events in Birmingham, Alabama.
Storytelling is the most effective way to communicate anything, to anybody, about anything because everybody gets it.
Taylor Robinson, Six Foot Five Productions
Taylor says we’re designed to be creative and to solve problems. He poses the hypothesis that perhaps in our wealthy American culture we come up with problems to solve (or magnify our inconveniences into problems) because most of us don’t have the real problems that so many others in the world face each day (extreme poverty, hunger, starvation, lack of water, lack of shelter, diseases and conditions caused by lack of access to food, water, proper shelter, etc.).
Your greatest tool as a storyteller is that the audience always wants to know what happens next.
Taylor Robinson
In consuming other people’s creativity: music, films, books, we can find new ways to be creative. — Taylor Robinson
What makes someone shine?
Taylor says that’s a difficult question because the answer is unique to each person, but it’s also simple in that the answer is to find what we love to do and do that.
The clues to finding our purpose are in the activities and goals that give us joy and pleasure.
Taylor’s production company, Six Foot Five Productions
Taylor Robinson on Twitter
Resources Mentioned in Episode 9
Episode 5 of the Discover Grow Shinecast: MacGyver Method of Creative Problem Solving, Lee Zlotoff
Scene from A League of their Own
Jim Carrey commencement address from 2014
Fruits of the spirit: Peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control.
Ira Glass on Storytelling
4-video series. I’ve embedded the first one.
