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Creativity 101, Notable Links, Videos: January 15, 2010 : 12:09 pm

The Danger of a Single Story

From TED.com: Chimamanda Adichie discusses the danger of having only one story about a person or place.

The video and my comments after the jump.

“The consequence of the single story is this: it robs people of dignity.”

Adichie has a beautiful way of talking about prejudice and ignorance without ever using those words or adopting a preaching tone. With equal candor and humility, she talks about her American roommate expecting her to be ignorant and poor, just as she herself expected her childhood servant to be lazy simply because he was poor.

While I think Adichie intended this as advice for living, it applies equally well to storytelling. It’s a simple, practical tool to ask yourself: “How many stories do I know about my characters?”

Let’s imagine a coal miner. Is he an oppressed laborer, crushed by a unsympathetic company?

Let’s ask his foreman. Is he a lazy idiot who cannot show up on time?

Ask his wife. Is he a distant, cold housemate?

Ask his mistress. Is he a tender lover, afraid to share his fears anywhere but in the dark?

He is none of these completely, yet each make up a piece of his picture. As you compose his actions in your head, it becomes easier to ask yourself, “Which story is my character playing out now?”

“There is never a single story about any place.”

Storytelling is based on seeing. It is very much like working with a police sketch artist. Unless you can fully imagine the person, you cannot describe them.

The process of creativity is the process of asking questions about your story until you have enough answers to move forward. ”Who is this person? What do they do?” If you stop asking too early, you’re settling, and the picture of your character will emerge as a hazy cliche.

Remember: creativity ends when we stop asking questions.