The premise behind the project is that narrative is an essential component (and perhaps the only essential component) in transformation, because without a narrative, no transformation can occur. Transformative narrative is both the story of a transformation and the story that allows transformation to take place.
Some of my inquiry questions are:
- Can transformation actually have happened if it is not exposed, expressed and understood?
- Does any narrative have the power to transform? If not, what are the ingredients of a transformative narrative?
- Can everybody have a transformative narrative?
- Is there just one, continuous narrative, or do we each have several?
Ultimately, I hope to prove that we can all have transformative lives, and that this is the ultimate way of life. It is our right and our responsibility as humans. It is a bit like 'reaching one's true potential', but transformation has so much more. (I talk more about this in my books). The project is designed to help identify the essential ingredients for career-life success through the power of storytelling, in a number of ways:
1) volunteered stories, that are welcomed from people at all life stages, employed, self-employed or unemployed
2) structured interviews conducted by applied storytellers
3) the creation of a pool of career story practitioners willing to undertake careers work using narrative techniques
4) an ongoing conversation between these practitioners to work towards an 'essence' of applied storytelling, or appllied narrative, as a tool in careers work
Expected outcomes of this project include:
- real evidence of the transformative power of storytelling in career development, which will also act as a living resource of real people's career stories
- a better understanding of the ways that storytelling can be developed and improved as a transformational tool
- an encyclopedia of techniques for career story practitioners and their clients to use
Hopefully there will be some wonderful unexpected outcomes as well!
What makes a transformative narrative? How does this link to applied storytelling?
Applied storytelling is telling stories with a particular purpose, or end result, in mind. Arguably, all stories have a purpose, even if this is not always clear, but applied storytelling essentially means that the purpose comes first.
When labelling an applied story as a transformative narrative, we are interested in learning in what way's the story that is told has created a shift, or change, across time. In the 'past' sense, we can find out how events are told, heard and invested with meaning. In the present, our current reality provides the pivot point, the hinge - exploring this in depth is essential as it holds the keys to our future, relating to how the stories we tell ourselves consciously and unconsciously can positively and negatively impact choices yet to be made. The future is projected onto the existing canvas as a goal and a motivational tool, in which we embrace possibilities and prepare ourselves to make the most of opportunities that arise.
The applied storytelling model also requires story practitioners to continue to learn and reflect on their own practice, to be more mindful of client stories and their power, and to develop specific skills and strategies to more effectively assist people wanting to make changes in their lives. In this way, the applied storytellers themselves are also constantly being transformed, and will thereby improve their craft.
