January 2024 · 4.5 Min Read
Have you ever glanced across a room to see somebody’s eyes widening before the rest of their face catches up? There could be many reasons for this but often it’s because their head is stuck in a book and the words on the page have just put them into a state of shock. It’s the power of reading a story that brings delight to us all. Yet, even without picking up a book, we are all often captured by the whirlwind of stories in music, film, art, poetry and Jim down the pub. Many years ago, in a land, not too far from here, National Storytelling Week was started in the UK to celebrate stories told and to bring people together to share their tales.
No matter whether it’s at an open mic event, in a school or on stage, the idea behind National Storytelling Week was to give everyone the chance to share their stories using the spoken word. It’s an idea we fully support and it’s a truly powerful way to encourage confidence and relationship building skills in people of all ages. We’re obsessed with this idea at Puck Creations because we see the power that a single story has in developing the fortunes and the growth of the clients we work with. Yet, we wanted to take the idea even further. We wanted people from all over the world to take part and we wanted it to go beyond the spoken word. Stories are told in so many ways and over the past few years, we have had the privilege of seeing our friends and peers tell their stories with music, art, poetry, illustrations, photography, the written word and more.
January 30th - February 6th · Join in with the fun
It’s all because of Storytelling With Puck. Every year, we spend eight days telling stories in different ways and we ask you to tell your stories too. As long as you add #StorytellingWithPuck and tag Puck Creations on LinkedIn, Facebook and/or Instagram, they will be seen. We’ll curate every one on the dedicated Storytelling With Puck website so you can use the power of stories for a deeper connection. The stories can be yours or they can just be a story that you love and want to tell your way. Once you’ve posted, make sure you follow the hashtag to keep up with your fellow creators. It’ll be worth it, we promise.
We’ve heard this more than a few (hundred) times over the years. You lovely people want to take part but you’d rather not actually tell a story. “I mean, what would we say?” Firstly, that’s understandable and if after reading this, you still don’t want to tell a story, we will very much welcome your love for everyone else’s. (Don’t forget to follow #StorytellingWithPuck)
Yet, we know something that you might not. We know that each and every one of you has a story to be told. We know this because a story is really just a moment in time. Take that moment and think about what led to it. What did you feel once that moment had passed? Write that down, put it on a video or draw it out. You have a story. Of course, you could expand on that story but there’s no need to. Do as much or as little as you like.
Where do we start? You don’t have to have a business to take part but if you do, we could talk about all of the business benefits that come from people seeing your personality shine through. We could also talk about the practice you get at telling stories, which will make it easier to tell your business story in the future. Maybe, we’re better off talking about all of the knowledge you will gain about other people by reading their stories. How much stronger will your connection be when you have these shared feelings? Aha! Feelings, that could be it. One of the biggest reasons people have loved Storytelling With Puck so much in the past 5 years is feelings. The feelings they get from writing, reading, watching and more are feelings that come along so rarely throughout the rest of the year. The great thing is that feelings are felt by people who aren’t “in business” too so everyone benefits!
Once upon a time, in a dystopian land that some refer to as the internet, people from all over the world started to see each other. They were afraid. Who were these people? What did they want? Occasionally, goods, gifs and memes would be exchanged but nothing more. King Puck noticed and knew that he had to do something about it. He needed to find a way to make this strange land more than a place for fear and trade. He knew he needed to find a way for people to connect on a deeper level. He could only think of one answer so he told a powerful story and instructed others to do the same…
We’ve had a few people asking questions about this year’s #StorytellingWithPuck so we thought it was time to answer them. We hope this covers everything but please get in touch if you need any more information. [email protected].
A.) Storytelling with Puck starts on January 30th 2024 and the final day of entries is February 6th 2024.
A.) Post it on either LinkedIn, Facebook, and/or Instagram and add the #StorytellingWithPuck hashtag. Please make sure you also tag Puck Creations too. We'll see it and curate it all on the Storytelling With Puck website so everyone else can too.
A.) No, you can post in whatever form you prefer. Words, videos, photos, illustrations, music etc.
A.) Definitely not. You are free to enter a story related to your business but we get stories about all sorts of things every year.
A.) Your story does not have to be true and it can definitely be fictional. Most readers would prefer not to read a fictional story that pretends to be non-fiction but what you write/tell is completely up to you.
A.) Of course, these kinds of stories often build strong connections.
A.) No, far from it. Storytelling with Puck is connection.
A.) No, you can tell other people’s stories too but always give credit to the original creator. We also welcome twists on old stories/fairytales etc.
A.) No, stories connect people because they encourage us to feel. Humans are not always happy, we are not always sad, we are not always anything. Write what you feel.
A.) Yes! We encourage everyone to take part in Storytelling with Puck. You don’t have to be a writer to tell a story. We all do it every day. This one will just reach a few more people.
A.) Yes, there are no limitations on length.
A.) See above.
A.) The quickest and easiest way is to visit Storytelling With Puck stories but you can also follow the #StorytellingWithPuck hashtag on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and/or follow Puck Creations. (We recommend doing this anyway!)
A.) We will put them on Storytelling With Puck stories and our various social media sites so that they are all in one place. We will then encourage participants to check out each other’s stories and connect with each other.
A.) We were inspired to start Storytelling With Puck by the wonderful creators of National Storytelling Week.
A.) Yes, of course, you can see it by checking out the #StorytellingWithPuck blog, which has even more information.
Now that King Puck has given you your instructions, we hope to connect with you all soon. If you’d like an even closer connection, [email protected]. We’ll work with you to write compelling business stories and to Define Your Brand.
.   .   .