Painting an Understanding through Storylistening

Painters layer colors on the canvas to release emotions that words can’t capture.

Each brushstroke matters, until the artist’s vision is revealed. Each person has art living inside of them, colors of their lives flowing into the future. Our listening to those around us, is what makes the canvas and give them space to paint their lives. That is what storylistening is.

Intent sits at the center of listening. Not the intent to respond, but to understand. Stories are shaped differently depending on how the listener engages. Will you be supportive? Are you distracted when you are listening? These factors can change a story, even subconsciously, for the teller. This can cause the story to be muddled and impossible to get it to its best color.

Storylistening done correctly will allow the teller to communicate their stories more openly. Listening is more complex than just hearing the spoken words. Look closely. Find the stories untold, because we hold them deep in our core. The way we sit and hold our bodies, the way we walk, even the way we fidget matters. Pay attention to body language, repeated words. Become aware of small cues that open a window of opportunity. Allow people to take you into a deeper story.

Think about a therapist. There are several techniques they use in order to make their client feel comfortable and open. They mirror the client’s words, helping them realize the depths of what they have said. They pay attention to the unspoken language of the body. Medical professionals listen every day, often trying to understand the stories that lie under the surface. Some listeners have to build trust within minutes, others over years, and it all comes down to listening for the stories that color a person’s life.

Listening is a learning process and the intention is vital. Every story we tell ourselves has working parts, but if the listener isn’t present, those parts may break.

Storylistening has the potential to change views and create a bigger understanding. Listening seeks those complex ideas and challenges us to find a masterpiece of understanding. Everyone has a story. Take a journey with us as we learn about the ultimate effect that true listening can have on healing people in the world.

Alexis Austere is a senior in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication at Colorado State University and a member of the original Storylisteners Podcast team that spoke to healers about their own narrative listening.