My top 10 quotes on the power of storytelling

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED STORIES, whether reading books, hearing tall tales from friends or listening to words of wisdom from my parents.

Stories deeply fascinate me. When Joaquin Phoenix took the stage for his Oscar acceptance speech in 2020, he came up with a powerful story about animal rights and our responsibility towards the climate. His deeply passionate and sensational speech was possible only because of his genuine, heartfelt and profound connection to the topic.

When Oprah Winfrey did her famous speech Time’s Up, it resonated deeply with many people around the world. Telling a story is a real art form. A practice from heart to heart. A dance of rythm.

As a writer of this blog, I’m always looking for stories that are meaningful to share with my audience. And ever since I started blogging, I have been fascinated by the intersection between storytelling and entrepreneurship. As storytellers, we have this ability to hear people’s larger issues and translate them into words that others can hear. 

One of the things that Oprah, Joaquin, and Bono do so well, is shining a light on folks on the ground who are doing the work while finding the right tone of voice to bring that story. I think that’s so important and that’s also been a big part of the commitment to my work.

There has to be a real long game to honoring all people and having all people feel seen and heard, because so much of the isms that we’re dealing with, whether it’s racism or sexism, it’s all coming from a fear that, if you have, I won’t have.

By reaching out to those who are on the fringe doing the super hard work, you highlight them and you praise them. I wouldn’t underestimate the value of that. By embracing those people, by telling the stories, including some of success, that arc of justice is definitely accelerated by artists having these values.

In this post I’ll share with you some inspiring quotes on storytelling. To encourage you to tell your story, here’s my top 10 quotes on the power of storytelling.

 

 

 

My top 10 quotes on the power of storytelling

Here are 10 pieces of writing wisdom from some of the greatest authors and thinkers of all time:

 

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values and agenda of an entire generation that is to come.” – Steve Jobs

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Whether you know it or not, your desire to write comes from the urge to not just be “creative,” it’s a need (one every human being on earth has) to help others. A well-told Story is a gift to the reader/listener/viewer because it teaches them how to confront their own discomforts

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“The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” – Muriel Rukeyser

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“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in heart forever.” – Ancient Proverb

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“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal

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“No story lives unless someone wants to listen. The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” – J.K. Rowling, author

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“It’s like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” –Patrick Rothfuss, author

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Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

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“Stories create community, enable us to see through the eyes of other people, and open us to the claims of others.” – Peter Forbes, photographer and author

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Last note

I hope that you liked these quotes on storytelling as much as I did. It’s always a pleasure to hand-pick these inspirational quotes for you. In the Tiny Bits newsletter, I share a thoughtful and inspirational quote every month, as I’ve collected many of them along the way. Sign up for this newsletter if you haven’t yet. 

What’s your favorite story, and why? Let me know in the comments!