Regenerative Storytelling
Stories are regenerative in their essence. They might grow a new beginning, a new ending, a new phrase or chapter. Regenerative stories have a strong core and are malleable in their subtleties. They adapt to shocks and changes if they need to. And as I see it, it is this talent of stories and storytellers that is much needed in today’s world.
Other words for regenerative are rebirth, reconstruction and transformation. Regeneration means the regrowth of a damaged or missing organ part from the remaining tissue. As adults, humans can regenerate some organs, such as the liver. If part of the liver is lost by disease or injury, the liver grows back to its original size, though not its original shape.
In my storytelling practice I learn that stories have the same abilities of rebirth, reconstruction and transformation. And looking at our current world we can see that stories regenerate parts of society that are injured, lost or forgotten. Voices that long have been unheard are getting stronger. The ability to listen by those who hold a loud voice, increases. We start to recognize that language as in the use of words is not the only way stories are told.
First and foremost I believe that the deep understanding that you are here on this planet because you are special, that you have a meaning, that you have something to bring and to learn, is an important understanding. I do not think anyone is here on this planet for no reason. I do not think that anyone on this planet is more important than somebody else. I do think that we all walk different paths, live in different circumstances and do and learn different things while being and living. I do believe that we all have our own meaning, our own story to bring into this world.
I hope you will feel that this article breaths a hopeful story of how we can change our narrative of individualism, consumerism, of growth at the expense of our beautiful planet and all living creatures living on it, including the human species. One thing we can do is take a deep dive into our own stories and the stories of the people we meet. Embracing a slower life while coming to the understanding that the now is all we have to be in. This might give us the opportunity to hear different stories from the people we live with for so long and of which we live in the convincing narrative that we heard it all before. It also might give us the opportunity to meet new creatures and to learn and understand new things.
It is about a year ago that I read the book “Thrive” by Kees Klomp and Shinta Oosterwaal. The book puts forward fundamentals for a new economy that is rooted in the well-being of humanity and of our planet. It holds contributions by many and one of them is Daniel Christian Wahl. He explains the essence of regenerative cultures and calls it ‘An economics of coming home’. He says: “We are witnessing the dying of old patterns that no longer serve all of us. This means that we’re actually getting feedback from the system that it is no longer fit for purpose. Fewer and fewer people feel like they are thriving in this context, and without transformative change, the situation will only get worse.” (Wahl)
What I understand from a storytelling perspective when I read this, is that our narratives that define todays’ world are dying. They come to an end. And we are in need of new narratives to enter our world. Or is it that we need to find and revitalize stories that are around for so long? It is with gratitude that my life with stories from all over the world, brought me on this journey of finding out what these new or old narratives are.
There is this lady that many years ago changed my take on the world with her TED talk called “The danger of a single story.” (Adichie) Her name is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Chimamanda is a storyteller and writer and was born in 1977 in Nigeria. In her talk she says that the under-representation of cultural differences could be dangerous. She says: “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are not true, they are not complete.” Adichie concludes the lecture by noting the significance of different stories in various cultures and the representation that they deserve. She advocates for a greater understanding of stories because people are complex, saying that by understanding only a single story, one misinterprets people, their backgrounds and their histories. The talk has become one of the most-viewed TED Talks of all time with over 27 million views. (Wikipedia)
This talk woke me up. It woke me up from my single perspective. Better said, it woke me up from the single perspective that I didn’t know I had. I woke up from the conviction that everybody in this world shares my narrative. From the conviction that everybody listening to my story understands me exactly in how I mean it. It is the waking up from the urgency to be right, to hold the truth. And of the conviction that it is important to hold the truth. This waking up is my fuel for understanding the narratives in our world differently.
Wahl says: “Regenerative cultures hold the ability to respond to shocks and changes. They have the capacity to evolve and regenerate through new ideas, innovation, and new patterns that provide new pathways back to flourishing and thriving.” (Wahl, Designing Regenerative Cultures) It is important to look at our narratives, the stories we tell, in the same way. I ask myself: Are our stories regenerative? Do our dominant stories have the ability to respond to shocks and changes? Do they have the capacity to evolve and regenerate through new ideas, innovation and new patterns?
Wahl says: “The journey of regeneration is a continuous process. Regenerative cultures are not a static goal to achieve; rather they are about continuous transformation in response to change within the nested complexity that they participate in.” (Wahl) This is how I wish our stories to be perceived. Tangible and open to transformation, evolving with the journey this planet and all living creatures on it are travelling.
Some years ago a read Gary Zukavs book called “The seat of the soul.”
He shares a very impressive take on our world and how we can perceive things in a different way than most of us are used to. He writes: “You can not not evolve. Everything in the universe evolves.” These two simple sentences to me behold so much potential.
So much hope.
I realize…
That is why our stories evolve.
Because everything in the universe evolves.
When I say: “That’s just the way I am or the way it is.”
Then I make myself stuck in the story.
Or I make the world stuck in the story.
In my essence I feel that this is what is happening at this moment. That we feel being stuck while we know deep down that everything in the universe evolves. So in this stuck and trapped story, can we see the opening? Because when we see the doorway, our eye can catch some light.
Some light on where to evolve.
So our story unleashes.
Runs free.
Regenerative stories are learning narratives, open to transformation, open to the storyteller and his or her background. Regenerative stories are aware of the listener. Regenerative stories are part of the transformative times we live in. They express their wisdom with a certain humbleness. They celebrate the freedom of expression. They are investigative. They are curious. Regenerative stories are narratives of wonder. They are not sure. They are not being told to express the one truth. They are here to express their openness to new possibilities. They are not afraid to walk the path of the unknown. What they do fear is being stuck and static.
In the upcoming period I wish to tell you about my search for these tangible stories, these regenerative stories that respond to change with flexibility and agility. I read for example a book called “Mother Earth Spirituality”, written by Ed McGaa. He is an Oglala Sioux lawyer, writer and lecturer. In his book he shares stories and wisdom on how to save the life of our Mother Earth and in doing so save ourselves. The book was published in 1990. The wisdom it holds is needed today more than ever. This I find so special. That in returning to stories of the past we find our present and shape our futures.
