Story Is Invention
It's so obvious that we forget it ALL the time.
Currently challenging myself to write about the push-and-pull of creativity and entrepreneurship; art vs capitalism; artistry vs product for 30 days.
If this is something you’re thinking about, then I want to hear from you!!
Here’s the truth: 15 years ago I split myself in half because if I didn’t, I thought I would explode. 🤯
Huh? Let’s time jump.
I’m in the beginning of my career, working as martial arts book editor. Everyday, I write, coach, edit, talk, think, sell, market, and pitch book ideas. But at the end of the day, the only words ringing around in my head are punch, jab, block.
If you know anything about me, you know I love LOVE LOVE language. I sincerely believe it’s the greatest invention of the human race. Because of my deep, adoration for it, it is the engine behind how I revolutionize what a martial arts book means to this publishing house. Because of me, we’ll publish across genres like memoir, movies, business, history, and even gift. Because of me, we’ll relaunch and redesign all 6 titles by Bruce Lee. Because of me, we’ll rebuild the entire book publishing process—doubling output by 50%, increasing sales, expanding into ebooks, and bringing on another dedicated book editor. At one point, my bosses pointedly say they want to hire another me.
That all sounds great right? And yet, I’m dying inside. So much so that by the end of my time there, I stop eating and sleeping. I am just so so SO depressed and bored.
Sarah, what did you do?
I realize that I tried to make my passion my profession, and they are NOT the same thing. The profession was just too small to encompass my passion, and while my passion did great things for my profession, I eventually just grew bored in the domain—especially after 30 books.
So I changed careers! I became (and still am) a person who builds digital products and experiences. If you are in a company, you are definitely working with or trying to build one even if it’s not obviously a website or app—trust me.
I like this career because:
Every product or experience is like a book. The overall concept is the same, but the anatomy is different depending on the company, customers, leadership, culture, team, and goals.
Every experience is like a story—except in three dimensions. The reader “game plays” like a character into your experience through an entrypoint you create. How they behave in it depends on your design, what they accomplish depends on your strategy, and how well they like it, depends on how much they need your product. Honestly, your product can also be a villain, too. I mean, how many digital systems are you using right now because you have to use them?
I learn new skills all the time. After 10 years, it’s hilarious when someone asks which tools you are adept in. The tech world changes fast; you need to learn to use a new one all the time, generally while you’re onboarding onto a project, and faster than whatever anyone else is doing. This is true for any tool—AI, data analytics, CRM, etc and etc.
I get to work with generally awesome people who like to make awesome things across all kinds of industries.
In this career, I use my storycraft skills all the time, but so adeptly and masterfully, that people often don’t even realize it. It’s beyond what most people recognize as “story” or “writing” or “language arts.” And what it has done for 15+ years is protect my artist brain, allowing it to mull over important things like:
How to write a poem about mucus (upcoming in this challenge)
What happens if you split yourself into two people and they decided to stay split?
How many different ways can I write love poems with insulting language?
What if a vampire and zombie fell in love?
It’s how I created my “Batman vs Bruce Wayne” lifestyle. They exist separately, and yet, they cannot exist without each other.
But lately, this separation has felt like it’s pulling me apart. And I don’t know how to talk about this tension in any formats, genres, or mental models that are currently available to me. And instead of talking about it online, in person, anywhere, I keep thinking no one will care anyway—what’s the point?
But I’m afraid if I don’t talk about these things, then I’ll explode. 🤯
So here’s what I plan to explore, experiment and articulate over the next 30 days:
How storycraft is a means for innovation, transformation and disruption across lots of things you never even realized
How writing and words and language build, scale and grow companies ALL THE TIME
Why art life doesn’t fit neatly into business life and vice versa
Why business leaders and society at large constantly misunderstand, misdirect, and misapply the power of creative thinking
How writing—literature, memoir, history, poetry, etc—can inspire, connect, and compel ideation on a personal, professional, or organizational level
What happens at the intersection of entrepreneurship and story or person and poetry or individual and society
How you might also balancing, a Batman and Bruce Wayne life? And how we might figure out new mental models for what it means to live creatively and entrepreneurially in the modern world with passion, optimism, and compassion!!!!
How and why we need imagination more than ever!!!!
Won’t you join me for the ride? I’d especially love to hear if this is something you’re grappling with too!!
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