The story of power is the power of story

As I toured battlefields, museums and historic ruins recently in Northern Europe, I was struck by this “big” idea, which crystallized particularly in Berlin. That city was devastated by two totalitarian constructs: Nazism and Marxism. For such extreme power to have consolidated to that disruptive degree, I contend that equally powerful stories were required.

I’m concerned that democracy’s narrative is too diffuse presently to meet our very urgent moment. There are so many other viable stories out there to inspire our support, stoke our fears, diminish what we once held as sacred. I wonder what it would take for us to champion the story of a revitalized democracy, with its ideal of a checked and balanced power.

This two and a half minute video is ultimately, a creative exercise. I like to workshop nascent ideas publicly. I also prefer to “write to pictures.” So, on the return flight to North America, I flipped through my photos and videos and handwrote an essay reflecting on this larger idea. Once in my studio, I recorded it. What started out as a 14-minute treatise was reduced to the breezy equivalent of an evening news script. Meaning that in a quest for concision, some vital context inevitably fell to the cutting room floor.

Equally important was an opportunity to experiment with a new post-production tool: Final Cut Pro for iPad. Rather than poised at a desk with keyboard, mouse and monitor, how would I edit differently seated in an armchair with touchscreen and stylus? I appreciated the chance to integrate live handwriting, as well as to play more precisely with still image cropping.

I’m fascinated by the relationship between institutional might and storytelling, and could conceive of similar visual essays on religious, academic, technological and military power, based on my recent travels. I also envision a convening platform with others to explore emergent forms of power (and their supporting stories). What kind of power does good leadership require today? It could be a necessary narrative infrastructure to harness the chaotic future that’s barreling towards us.