Designing Transformative Experiences

3 ■ Storifying Our Lives

Harnessing How We Translate Experience into Narrative

In the drape of moonbeams across a canvas of snow, the lilt of birdsong, the crackle of a fire, the smell of smudge and the echo of the heartbeats of those around us, our ancestors speak to us, call to us, summon us to the great abiding truth of stories: that simple stories, well told, are the heartbeat of the people. Past. Present. Future.

—Richard Wagamese, Embers

Once language was available to describe social scenarios from memory and anticipations, we became “homo narratus.” We have become psychological beings who are incapable of not narrating our experiences both to ourselves and each other.

—Alan Parry, psychologist

Figure 4: Experiential Learning Variables ...