Interview with Skye Jethani: Why Story Matters

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Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Skye Jethani, author of The Divine Commodity. Skye will be presenting at STORY, a conference for creatives that I’m attending next month. To find out more about how you can win a FREE ticket to STORY, scroll to the bottom of this interview.

Story Conference

What is your best personal definition of a story?

Human beings are wired to reject randomness. We refuse to believe that scenes or events are disconnected and the result of chaos.

A story is a construct of the human imagination that weaves together events so that they have meaning and a direction; a purpose. Without stories we would succumb to the despair of a random cosmos without meaning.

Skye JethaniWhat is one way you have found to grow or engage your imagination?

It sounds rudimentary, but reading is still the best way. I try to read far outside my world of church/ministry/faith. I like to read history, science, biography, and fiction.

In a culture quickly losing the discipline of reading in favor of short glimpses at screens, we are seeing Water Brueggemann’s prophecy come true: we are becoming a people capable of implementing almost anything and imagining almost nothing.

In your experience what is the best nontraditional form or storytelling you have seen, heard, or experienced?

I suppose that hinges on what you mean by “nontraditional.” Frankly, I sometimes feel that all of our efforts to be innovative actually diminish our ability to tell good stories. (George Lucas is exhibit A.)

The medium should always add to or support, and never take away from, the message. Too often these days the medium and message conflict resulting in people remembering the delivery device and totally forgetting the message. The best storytellers are the ones who keep character development and human emotion central.

Take the opening sequence from the Pixar film Up! No dialogue. No distracting special effects. Just the story of a boy and girl who meet, marry, and grow old. Yet half the audience is in tears after 4 minutes.

The most potent storytelling communicates with clarity and precision and with an economy of devices.

If you could encourage a creative person with one tip on being imaginative what would you tell them?

Close your mouth. Open your eyes. Silence is the prerequisite to imagination. We must be present and observant to the world around us, the world within us, and the movements of God in both.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but many of the most imaginative people consume the least or with the most discretion. Those who are incessantly listing to an iPod, surfing the web, and in a constant state of external mental stimulation cannot be imaginative. They can only consume; they cannot create.

What is one thing you are excited about sharing with the tribes attending STORY 2011?

God is not a means to an end. He is the end.

About STORY

STORY is a conference for the creative class. The theme for 2011 is IMAGINE NATION which speaks to the power of spiritual imagination.

Win a free ticket!

To enter to win a free ticket to this year’s conference, you must do the following:

  1. Answer the question below in the comments.
  2. Tweet this article or share it on Facebook. Here’s an example: Find out how you can win a free ticket to #STORY11 here: http://goinswriter.com/skye-jethani-interview/
  3. Be available to be in Chicago during the conference. No winning this for a friend. If you can’t be there, I will pick the next person eligible (the winner will be randomly selected).

If you don’t win, I still hope to see you there. You can find out more at the STORY event page.

What would an entire country of imagination look like to you? Share your thoughts in the comments.

** Congrats to Allison Rivers for winning the free ticket! **

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About the Author

Jeff Goins

I help people tell better stories and make a difference in the world. I live in Tennessee with my wife and dog. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

  • Michael Dodaro

    Of course, many contemporary writers are saying human beings are, in fact, in a random cosmos without meaning.  The extreme form of this is a play like “Waiting for Godot”. 

    It seems that an effective story teller now has to acknowledge some of the reasons we modern and post-modern types believe that existence is chaos. And then, with skill, show how it isn’t chaos. 

    My efforts along this line have been only partly successful:
    http://godwrestling.blogspot.com/2011/08/working-on-railroad-circa-1970.html
    http://lyricartsforum.blogspot.com/2011/06/story-on-georgi.html

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Interesting…

  • http://thomasmarkzuniga.com Thomas Mark Zuniga

    Love that definition of “story” and how our seeming innovations can sometimes deteriorate our storytelling. Very enlightening.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Thanks for reading, Thomas!

  • http://www.somechum.com Mike Plotnick

    Such wisdom in so few words. Thanks for inspiring.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      You’re welcome, Mike. Thanks for reading!

  • http://lifeallin.net Jacob Musselman

    “Frankly, I sometimes feel that all of our efforts to be innovative actually diminish our ability to tell good stories.” I love this. With all the talk about Steve Jobs resigning, it reminds me of what Apple has done-innovated technology that enhances the experience.

    Our methods affect our stories, and any time the method speaks more loudly than the story we lose our bearings.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Amen.

  • http://lifeallin.net Jacob Musselman

    As to the question…

    A colorful, diverse nation where new experiences spark more ideas and flashes of brilliance. A nation where collaboration defines success. And you can’t say, “When pigs fly…” because they already do.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Love it!

  • http://rkweblog.com Rich Kirkpatrick

    Jeff, here is my answer to the question. I would love to attend this conference again.

    Answer: An entire country of imagination might be a place where the possible is celebrated, the past is honored and laws counteracting “dream envy” would be in place since so many would know about the dreams of their neighbors. Instead of patent laws, people would never claim their imaginations as their own, but as gifts from the One who imagines it all in the first place.
    …

    I enjoyed this interview. My bias is to believe that the mediums each have–whether papyrus in clay pots, tribal dance at the village campfire or special effects in a modern film–their liabilities and assets. Sometimes the medium, like Cecil B. DeMille’s depiction of Moses have to be big to tell a big story. The “economy of devices” is not a constant I believe, in other words. Clarity, yes. Precision, yes. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      thanks, rich!

  • http://allyspotts.com Ally Spotts

    I can’t stop thinking about what Skye said, “Silence is the prerequisite to imagination.”  I think that a country of imagination would be quieter. There would be fewer distractions and more space for thought to grow. We would have fewer, stronger connections to people. More focused intentions and passions. 

    Really looking forward to Story! Hope to see you there Jeff. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      I loved that too.

  • http://jessemedina.com/ Jesse Medina

    This is a fantastic interview.  Great questions, great answers.  I love how Skye processes through some of this stuff; he has a prophetic edge (in the call-to-repentance sense, not the future-telling sense).  

    He just came out with a new book, With, that I’m more interested in reading having seen this interview.

  • http://twitter.com/AshleyM_Moss ashley moss

    Close your mouth. Open your eyes. >>> Who knew? LOL. One of the best ways to arrive at a story….silence. [love it]. 

    Q: What would an entire country of imagination look like to you? 
    A: A blank page in my passport. An open ticket to anywhere in the world. A brand new travel journal. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      oooh, i like this one. it resonates with my wanderlust (a dirty-sounding, but beautiful, word).

  • http://talesofwork.com kimanzi constable

    Thanks Jeff for this interview and all your interviews, as usual you ask all the right questions. I got in contact with Aaron, so thank you for that as well, keep up the good work!

  • http://peterpaluska.com Peter Paluska

    Great points here. Fine interview.

    Netflix might be Exhibit B! It is wonderful, yes, but you cannot bring it up when you are talking about actual films you have seen on it, otherwise the entire discussion spins out into one big Netflix adoration party.

    Example: “Yeah, we saw ‘Blow Up’. On Netflix, right, honey?” “Oh, don’t you just LOVE Netflix?!” (Wait, what movie were we talking about here?;)

    Anyway, it’s all about story!

    Thanks, Jeff and Skye

    Peter

  • http://www.redemptionsbeauty.com Shelly Miller

    An entire country filled with imagination would find people overcome with joy and contentment that comes from understanding their unique contribution to the world and an authentic acceptance of the gifting revealed in others.

  • http://www.eileenknowles.blogspot.com Eileen

    Love this “Those who are incessantly listing to an iPod, surfing the web, and in a
    constant state of external mental stimulation cannot be imaginative.
    They can only consume; they cannot create.”   I agree.  We have a hard time being still.  One piece of advice I’ve gotten is to try leaving the radio off in the car on the commute to work every so often.  It’s amazing how hard this is to do.  We get so used to noise.

  • Jules

    I recently went to the book signing of a blogger turned best selling author. Later, we ate together at a small, celebratory dinner in her honor. I knew she had been offered book deals in the past, and that she routinely turned down the agents and publishers. It wasn’t until she, an American, moved to Europe with her husband that she accepted an offer from a respected publisher.

    Her reasoning was twofold. First, she didn’t feel she was ready and wasn’t willing to churn out a product that wouldn’t meet her long term expectations. Second, it wasn’t until she moved to Europe, more specifically to a country where she was unfamiliar with the language, culture, and people, that it was “quiet” enough for her to focus on what she wanted. Paraphrasing what she said, “when you know no one and don’t know the language, you are allowed to–and have no choice but to–turn inward.” When she did that, she found her creativity and inspiration was endless.

    She has since inspired me to take a digital sabbatical. I can’t leave the country, but I can leave the internet.

    This is a long way to say a country full of imagination would be quiet, pensive, and without superfluous attractions. There would be no tweets about what you are eating for lunch and a 75% decrease in cat videos on Youtube.

    • Jules

      It looks like a commitment I can’t get out of will prohibit me from traveling during the conference dates. In fairness to others, I’ll need to be removed from the random drawing. Thank you.

      • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

        got it. thanks, jules! maybe next time.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      I will sincerely miss the cat videos. But the rest sounds great! :)

  • http://twitter.com/FeliciaKayeP Felicia Kaye

    An entire country of imagination would be colourful, full of odd shapes because simply being square wouldn’t be enough. Everyone’s basic needs would be met because there wouldn’t be a problem that couldn’t be solved with a little creativity. We would run, skip, and hop places because the way we got somewhere yesterday isn’t sufficient. Nobody would think twice about singing or dancing in public because every note and every movement would inspire someone else’s imagination. My heart get’s excited just imagining it…

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      love the picture you’re painting with words!

  • Jessica Kirkland

    Well, for me, this question is kind of personal. Until I turned the TV off about 6 months ago, and quit watching my favorite shows, my imagination was stunted. I wasn’t accomplishing my goals. Since I did, my first book app for kids was released in the iTunes store. So, an entire country of imagination has no Television or device like it. They imagine. They tell stories the way grandpa did. Technology has no hold over their time, their assumptions, their recollections, they are free to be who God made them to be. 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Wow!

  • Linda Coffey

    I had the privilege of meeting Ann Voskamp at a conference this summer. She told us to claim our creativity and frame it….otherwise we are denying a gift from God.  Now I look at every scene and frame the beauty of creation.  I am just beginning to claim my imagination and my creativity…..but, we are never to old to begin! 

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      love that!

  • http://randomlychad.com Chad Jones

    In thinking about Mr. Jethani said about silence, I find this is true for me: I do my best creating apart from the distractions that so often fill my life. I often find a quiet space, and just write.

    For me, a country of imagination would have no more more homogenous, soul-sucking cubicles in it, and every creative would have one of Maxwell Smart’s cones of silence. Only this one wouldn’t just block out noise, but would be a one-way mirror as well. It would give us the silence we need to create, but still allow us to observe the world around us (without being seen–unless we wanted to).

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      me, too. mine is my back porch.

  • http://www.livesimplylove.com Merritt | LiveSimplyLove

    I love the reminder that God is not a means to an end but the end Himself. 
    I pride myself on not consuming a ton of television, but I’m a total sucker for blog surfing. I can spend hours sometimes…probably in procrastination mode. Appreciate the point that it’s likely not helping me to be more creative. Great interview…would love to join you at Story.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Meritt – hope to see you one way or the other?

  • http://www.livesimplylove.com Merritt | LiveSimplyLove

    Missed the question until I read the comments (sorry!) – To me an entire country of imagination would mean kids don’t have to follow a “path” to a particular career. They would be free to invest more deeply in the subjects at school they love (yes, even recess). Adults would nurture the gifting in each particular child versus pointing them to activities or careers with the most prestige or opportunity for monetary reward. Inventing and creating would be rewarded rather than just doing. GREAT question Jeff!

  • http://www.facebook.com/ambercg Amber Courtney Louthan

    A country of imagination? A country of Freedom and peace and Love. Do I sounds like a hippie? Maybe. But a country of imagination is a place where we are free to be who we were created to be. Bright and bold and beautiful and different. Suessical maybe. There might be roaming and doing and being, more color and sound for some, and less for others. What it would look like matters less than what it would feel like I think.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Mmm… you’re right. There is freedom in imagination. Good thought. And great use of the word Seussical! A country of imagination would indeed look like a Dr. Seuss book.

  • http://erinblinn.com Erin Blinn

    An entire country of imagination would look like new life that begets new life. Think of childbirth and the wonder that ensues when a tiny baby emerges into the world.  There is beauty and hope right out of pain. There is an adventure unique. There are dreams, of who that little baby is and of who that little baby will be.  There is an infinite sense of wonder and love. The brand new baby does something to the people who are entrusted with his or her life as well as their surrounding community.  Those receiving that new life find their own lives enriched, renewed and awakened to new life within.  The possibilities are infinite, beautiful and necessary.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      love it. creativity is possibility put to action.

  • http://engineeringeileen.blogspot.com Eileen

    I loved the definition of story as a way to define the chaos of life events and infuse them with meaning.

    I just got back from a trip to the Outer Banks, and this morning saw the Wright brothers’ memorial/museum. It was fascinating to me how imaginative and inventive these two were. As children, they spent hours dreaming of flying. And then they went and learned all they could about aerodynamics and engines and sewing wings  - and embarked on the first powered flight. I could not help but wonder what it would be like if everyone had such an imaginative spark that fueled learning and invention. I think a country of imagination would be filled with incredible technology beyond what we can dream up as singular individuals, as well as with beautiful artwork and music and stories, too. 

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  • Bert Newman

    Skye’s comment on imagination tip  ”We must be present and observant to the world around us, the world within us, and the movements of God in both.” holds a wealth of information on being in tune with what God is trying to show us individually.  Being present in the moment can be a challenge to me.

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      Ditto.

  • Lori Biddle

    An entire country of imagination =  young children playing outside  - no toys and no adults …

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      love it!

  • http://twitter.com/allison_rivers Allison Rivers

    Wow.  Great interview.  Skye’s point about creating vs. consuming is fascinating.  It’s got to be a fine line there–you need to consume enough to keep your inspiration and imagination reservoirs filled, but not so much that you can’t create from that.

    I think a country of imagination would be one without distractions.  There’s so much background noise in our daily lives that compete for our time and attention.  In college, I spent three months at an extension program, living in a little mountain cabin in Oregon with 17 other students.  We didn’t have TV, cell phones, internet, microwaves, or central heat (we had to build fires in our wood stoves).  But the quiet, the instant community it created between us all, the space and freedom from all the extra noise in our lives…it made for a magical time in my life.  I think that’s the closest thing I’ve experienced in real life to a true country of imagination.

  • Wb334307

    An entire country of imagination would look like a swelling sea that’s waves morphed into whatever idea the dream surfer may have before crashing into the shores and becoming reality! Yea brah!

    • http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

      beautiful picture. :)

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