Seeing storytelling in 21st-century terms as a form of data collection
Interview with Talia Stinson
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Email | Download
When it comes to 2020, the storyline so far is as challenging to follow as a Tarantino movie – so many different threads, so many unexpected twists and turns.
In winter 2020, a pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus began that has since killed nearly 1 million people around the world. In the spring, a protest movement blossomed in response to the deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police, flourishing first across the US and then hopping to Europe. And throughout the summer, from continent to continent, nations have struggled to restart battered economies while seeking a balance between safety and survival.
In storybooks and scholarly journals alike, narrative is the framework for how we share information, experiences, and insights. Talia Adell Stinson, a freelance journalist and project manager based in Philadelphia, sees this ancient craft of storytelling in thoroughly 21st-century terms – as a form of data collection and data management.
“Data is not just numeric,” she says. “I think it’s literally the ingredients of what makes up your anatomy, in every sense of the word, to your experiences, to your interactions… how you communicate in the boardroom, how you interact when you’re at work. The story of who you are on all levels is essential to your brand in every sense of the word.”
In addition to her work as a writer and consultant, Stinson is secretary of the board of the directors for Art-Reach, a Philadelphia nonprofit whose mission is to enrich lives by connecting underserved audiences with cultural experiences so that they may enjoy and benefit from the transformative power of the arts.
“Right now, every single part of what’s happening is personal,” Stinson tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s no shame in personalizing a pandemic or personalizing social justice issues or personalizing anything of the sort. Because the more you put yourself into it, the more you actually are able to share how you feel and be in touch with how you interpret what other people are saying.”
