“The Storytelling Principles told through Yoga” is an infographic created to deliver a new take on how people view yoga. I created it as a way to combine two of the things I enjoy that many people wouldn’t necessarily put together.

I wanted to created emphasis on how universal storytelling can actually be, and how you can find the main aspects of storytelling in many of our daily practices.

Like many things in our lives, stories stem from our routines and relatability. We want to feel like we belong and that there are others who are like us – doing the same things and thinking the same things. This is why the most important parts of our lives include relating to others, whether it be in the stories we read, or the yoga poses we do; we want to find common ground. I’ve practiced yoga for 10 years, and always find that relatability in the poses I do, whether I’m feeling flexible or not, there is always something in each pose or a modification that I can find a place in.

The exact same idea goes for a story, the reader must relate to it – if not as a whole, to some aspect of the story – in some way. 

The universality of storytelling is key to why stories are so revisited. Each read yields a new pathway for expansion of feelings and knowledge; no one read is exactly the same for each person, or even the same person the second time.

Yoga poses create the same feeling for the practitioner; a deeper understanding of oneself through the pose is invoked as the journey continues on.

Yoga also adheres to a formula – even though as time has passed and the formula has been manipulated and changed – there is always a basis of the origins like that of the story spine. The reader and practitioner can assume what might happen, but like most good stories, the audience is kept focused and engaged until the very end.

Whatever way you like to take your stories and your yoga, there is a plethora of media to give you exactly the kind of connection and interaction you crave.

Storytelling is integrated in every delivery system we use – from our phones to our laptops, or in person – the principles are employed to get the message across. 

My hope is that this infographic begins to break down the notion that storytelling principles are only meant for stories in the conventional sense. Each of our lives, actions and processes possess a story and if we look closely and begin to see that stories exist in so many aspects of our lives, truly being universal in and of itself.    

Gassi gehen.

What does this even mean??

“Gassi gehen” is a German expression, its colloquial meaning is ‘to walk a dog outside.’ It usually describes a dog having to go outside to relieve itself and a human joining the dog, often combined with a short walk.

Opinions about the origin of the phrase are divided. Some say it is derived from “Gasse” meaning ‘alley’ (going to an alley so the dog can relief itself).

Others believe it is an abbreviation from “gassatine gehen” which is derived from Latin “grassari ,” meaning to hang out.

No matter what caused this German phrase to become a common expression in German-speaking countries, the question is: Why doesn’t such a phrase exist in the English vocabulary?

The English equivalent would be ‘to go for a walk with the dog’ or simply ‘to go for a walk,’ but there is a difference to go for a stroll and to have your dog accompany you, or to take your dog outside so they can use the bathroom. Do we need a change?

The German version could simply be borrowed as a loanword (jut as it has been done with words such as ‘Doppelgänger’ or ‘Zeitgeist’) and the expression could stay as “Gassi gehen.”

Or, would a translation be a better option? How would that look like? Alley walking? Doggo hangout?

In the end – while this is an interesting subject – it doesn’t matter how we label it, as long as we make sure our furry family member is able to ‘go.’

Source: Wiktionary

One of the key elements of my storytelling has been to share personal posts. My own website is all about sharing recipes and memories from my life in India, and it’s unique selling point is my personal story.

Sharing Stories

In this infographic, I have shared how you can take your own memories, and tales from your life, and turn them into an engaging story. There are several elements to this, and I have taken five of the most common ones and shared it in the infographic.

When creating this graphic, I kept in mind the basic principles of storytelling, but added those elements that I believe are useful to successfully tell a personal story. It is easy to tell people about plot, characters, spectacle, and endings, but at the same time, a personal story doesn’t necessarily always follow the same steps. For me the key elements of a personal story is to build the connection between the storyteller and the reader, so there are elements in this graphic that are not always in the list for effective storytelling, but nevertheless, are important in telling personal stories.

Design Elements

When designing the graphic, I also kept in mind design elements like colour, themes, and graphic elements, so it looked cohesive and clean. Since my story was was about sharing a moment with my grandfather, and his chickens, I included a little nod to chickens by using feather pens throughout. I also gave little examples through the infographic to illustrate my points.

In an age where people can be so afraid to say the wrong thing, many end up saying nothing at all.

The goal of my Be A Fearless Storyteller guide (and my entire ethos) is to equip people with tools, knowledge and understanding to feel empowered to share their truths and stories.

This resource is designed to outline the principles that I believe are most important in bringing out the authenticity integral for impactful stories.

In the social media industry it can become really easy to get bogged down in strategy, metrics and performance numbers. But behind all those numbers are the people, places and things we care about.

We can’t get high performing numbers without daring people to care.

To do this I hail three golden rules:

1. Write Authentically.

I firmly believe that honestly always wins. By remaining authentic in our storytelling, I think we capture the most hearts and create the strongest personal connections. Additionally, it fosters a sense of authority, establishing the brand as a leader and expert and trustworthy source for people to come to.

2. Connect With Your Audience

Our stories are only as resonant as the readers react to them. Be specific on who you want to reach and how you want to reach them. Know what matters to them and what matters to you and how to merge the two in your writing to elevate your engagement.

3. Experiment

As they way consumers interact with media changes, so do we need to change as producers. There are now limitless ways to showcase stories, all at your fingertips; each of these mediums also impacts the story itself. Don’t be afraid to explore new possibilities in how you can share your stories, and more importantly- don’t be afraid to try and fail over and over again to find what works best.

Stand in your truth and share your story fearlessly. It is your greatest power.

How to Tell a Great Data Story

The infographic above is a summary of “Why Data Storytelling Is Marketing Gold for Your Brand” by Katy French

https://www.columnfivemedia.com/data-storytelling-brands-data-visualization/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRdasUAjRwy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

My daughter and I enjoyed some fun in the sun! After a long week of working and being so busy it was nice to just relax and enjoy some fun in the sun. I never get to enjoy the sun as much anymore because I have an inside job and always too busy. My daughter just loves swimming and playing at the beach. She’s always asking to go to the beach, even during winter. So this was a great day! I hope everyone enjoys!

https://twitter.com/GabriellesStud1/status/1413234871112110083

Lately, my cat has been bothering me. As handsome and lovely as he is, he has gotten into the habit of waking me up in the early hours of the morning (like, 3-4 am early) just so he can have a snack.

For reference, my kitty is the most insistent cat I’ve known! When he wants something, he will not stop until he gets it. Since moving, he has taught himself to open every single closet door type in my apartment, as well as any floor level drawers and cupboards…

He really is very cute when he wakes me up, sitting on me, meowing in my face, and lightly pawing my face with no claws — a real gentleman! But I decided that enough was enough, and I bought an automatic pet feeder to sate his need for snacks at odd hours.

You can click through and read my twitter thread in its entirety about my cat and I getting a feeder!

I decided to get an automatic feeder for my handsome little cat! #EXSM3989 pic.twitter.com/P3D8P9Q6u2

— Sebastian James Wong (@SebastianJWong) July 13, 2021

Does anyone else have pets that always want snacks? I hope you consider an automatic feeder if its feasible for you!

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories from my childhood in India. For this assignment, I picked a memory of an Indian snack, with a strange name, and decided to talk about it, and the memories of my grandparents that went along with that snack.

This was always meant to be a sentimental thread, but I started off my talking about the snack itself, telling people what it is. I made it sound intriguing, because the name of the snack is ‘biscuit ambade’, but they are not biscuits as we know it. It draws the reader in, leaving them wondering what the thread it about.

I segued in the middle, talking about my memories of eating that snack at my grandparents’ house. I used descriptive language, as I like using words, rather than visuals, to paint a picture. This isn’t necessarily always the best way to engage on Twitter, but for a thread like mine, I felt that gifs or images would take away from the impact of what I was going for, engaging the readers, and letting them imagine themselves in the village with me and my grandparents.

I ended the thread with a wistful look back at those short, sweet memories that we remember at odd times, those that we like to recount to our children (probably making them roll their eyes), but those that mean so much to us. It summed up the sentimentality of the thread, but also gave the reader an insight into my mind at that moment, and encompassed the universality of emotional feelings, by evoking childhood memories.

This week has been fairly uneventful except for a small new adventure my friend is embarking by moving downtown. I had promised to help him move eons ago and finally Sunday was the big day. Aside from packing and unpacking, the most daunting challenge for us was piecing furniture back together. One particularly hefty piece was his queen size bed frame. Watch 5 grown adults struggle in the following Twitter thread.