THIS WEEK: Community, Curiosity and The Science of Storytelling

It's hard to say happy weekend when there is a war raging but I hope you are as well as you can be, wherever you are. Like the rest of the world, my heart and thoughts are with those in Ukraine during this unspeakable time.

For those looking for some respite this weekend, please find below my recommendations.

PODCAST

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking to Sherrell Dorsey, founder and CEO of The Plug  - a news and insights platform focused on black founders, innovators and tech ecosystem.

In this interview, we discuss Sherrell's work ethic, the power of community, why she started The Plug and how we can make tech more inclusive. Listen at Apple here, Overcast here, Google here, Simplecast here, Spotify here.

QUOTE

INTERVIEW

"There is one thing that's absolutely certain about creativity: It's an active process, not a passive one. The best ideas come when you become curious, aware, interested."

Polina Pompliano is the writer/creator of The Profile newsletter where she profiles highly successful people from the worlds of sport, business, tech and entertainment. In this Q & A with her readers, Polina answers interesting questions around finding great content, developing curiosity and how she grew her Subtstack newsletter during the pandemic.

Read here.

BOOK

I first read The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better by the great Will Storr during the pandemic but have recently returned to it.

In the book, Storr shows how storytellers are able to manipulate and compel us, leading us on a journey and that is the true art of storytelling. He also shows us how we can use these tools to tell our own stories better, as well as a way to try and make sense of our chaotic modern world.

Buy the book here. His latest book - The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It looks great too.

FILM

The Pixar Story is a 2007 documentary which takes you behind the scenes of the groundbreaking company that pioneered a new generation of animation and forever changed the face of storytelling.

Watch the trailer here. Rent The Pixar Story here. Listen to my interview with Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith here.

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Thanks for reading and wishing you a restful weekend.

Danielle