The Art of Storytelling

Recently I watched a Ted talk given by John Meada called “How art, technology, and Design Inform Creative Leaders.” John Meada is the president of the Rhode Island School of Design, specializing in connections between design and technology. Early in his career, he created a human computer, which consisted of a team of actors assembled to complete a simple computer task.  In doing this, Meada was highlighting how much we take technology for granted; there is much intricacy in the processes occurring behind the computer screen.  At Loyola, I am studying both arts and communications, and I am heavily invested in the merging of the two.  I was very inspired by his explanation of the purposes of art and technology. He said, “Technology makes possibilities. Design makes solutions. Art makes questions, and Leadership makes actions.”  If I learned anything for our Communications and New Media class, it was how to merge my artistic side with modern communications methods.  Maeda highlighted the fact that, as we move into this new era of digital media, we need not abandon the traditional artistic perspective.  Art, he explained, makes us explore and interact with the world without limitations.   Artistic expression implores people to expand their thinking and make ideas even bigger.  With art, “no” does not exist.  In an era of electronics, we cannot abandon the beauty of aesthetic artistic skill, for then style and individuality will be lost.  Maeda, in stressing the importance of tradition, also talked about how he only buys antiquities if they have a good story behind them.  Upon hearing this, I immediately thought about our class, and how we have been analyzing storytelling as a tenet of good communications, be it in advertising, digital campaigns, or journalism.   To me, a good story is sort of like a good wedding; there is something borrowed, something new, something old, and something blue.  Well, maybe not blue necessarily, but a good story definitely paints a picture with a wide array of colors.  To truly grab the audience, one has to pull from the past; from memories, shared experiences, and human emotions.  But there is also an element of looking toward the future, and the hope of what could be.  Great stories are strung together with beads of the past and present, but above all they come from the heart.  The only requirements are passion and a pencil.  Once lead hits paper, the possibilities are endless.  

The Reality of Television (Not Reality Television)

Television is a powerful tool in today’s world.  Humanity looks to TV for entertainment, relaxation, current news, and personalized interests.  Because of its audio-visual properties, television possesses an innate ability to formulate constructions, understandings, and memories within people.  However, while television has abounding benefits, it also harbors a slew of negative effects.  A significant drawback appears in the mature content on television programs, especially those of a sexual nature.  One could reason that there is a strong connection between visualization and behavior.  In adolescents especially, a direct correlation exists between promiscuous themes in television programming, and sexual activities in the real world; this connection is arguably responsible for risky and apathetic sexual attitudes found among today’s youth. 

The most egregious issue surrounding sexual content on television is the dangerous sexual attitudes endorsed as natural, universal, and inconsequential. Nonchalant sexual attitudes are indeed a frightening concept to instill into the minds of young adults, especially because the United States has such a high STD, STI, and teenage pregnancy rate.  Teenagers so readily believe that terrible and difficult situations will never befall them, or that there will always be an easy way out.  One can look to the source of this faulty principle with the click of a remote.  With events that are extremely troubling, such as a teenage pregnancy, Hollywood creates the illusion that all can be amended with the wave of a magic wand.  For instance, Teen Mom, a reality show following young mothers, glorifies these peoples’ mistakes, and gives girls everywhere the hope that if they get pregnant, they might end up on a television show. There are thousands of other programs comparable to Teen Mom, and most of them dodge matters of pregnancy, STD’s, peer-pressure, and regret completely.  As much as humans want to believe there are no consequences for hedonistic behavior, it does not change reality.  

Dream Job: Official Facebook Ambassador

In my musings about communications, I stumbled upon an interesting new movement in company promotion.  There is a program based out of New Orleans that works with entrepreneurs to enhance their social media presence.  Aspiring business leaders must apply and be accepted, and in turn receive guidance throughout the production of their companies.  This program, called NOLAbound, cites many specific ways to improve upon the professional face of one’s company.  They assist business people in becoming social media ambassadors, a term I had never heard before.  A social media ambassador runs campaigns that vocalize and characterize the company, as well as attaching it to pertinent communities online.  Their success is quantified by how well they reach various populations, and specifically in attaining access to greater resources.   Being able to network efficiently allows one to gain fruitful partnerships, ideally propelling them into a position of authority within their market.  One of the main way social media campaigns gain attention is by targeting prominent bloggers and figures within the market, and using their appeal to acquire more followers. It was interesting to think about companies actively selecting people to represent their company online.  Essentially, a social media ambassador is an online public relations professional.  Companies must be very selective about who they choose to represent their company online, especially because once content is released to the Internet, it can never be completely destroyed.   Social media ambassadors must be creative, strong writers, and reliable. These professionals especially have to make themselves present enough online to draw in consumers, but not overbearingly so.  I appreciate the fact that social media has become a quintessential part of brand success and loyalty.   As a communications major, it is encouraging to see the skills I am learning applied to a real-worldly environment.  

Check out the NOLAbound website here!