In this three day journey in Paris, Peter de Kuster,  founder of The Heroine’s Journey explores with you the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves — and, most important, the way we can change those stories to transform our creative business and life.

“Your story is your art, your art is your story,” says Peter. As human beings, we continually tell ourselves stories — of success or failure; of power or victimhood; stories that endure for an hour, or a day, or an entire lifetime. We have stories about our creative challenges, our art, our clients, our money, our self promotion, our time, our families and relationships, our health; about what we want and what we’re capable of achieving. Yet, while our stories profoundly affect how others see us and we see ourselves, too few of us even recognize that we’re telling stories, or what they are, or that we can change them — and, in turn, transform our very destinies.

Telling ourselves stories provides structure and direction as we navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and helps us interpret our goals and skills. Stories make sense of chaos; they organize our many divergent experiences into a coherent thread; they shape our entire reality. And far too many of our stories, says Peter, are dysfunctional, in need of serious editing. First, he asks you to answer the question, “In which areas of my creative life and business is it clear that I cannot achieve my goals with the story I’ve got?” He then shows you how to create new, reality-based stories that inspire you to action, and take you where you want to go both in your work and personal life.

STORYTELLING CAN BE TAUGHT

In intensive full-day seminars, private tours, and online, Peter de Kuster  teaches the substance, structure, style, and principles of the grand art of storytelling. Peter teaches the form of story, giving his fellow storytellers an insight into the nature and purpose of their art; what the creative heroine does to thrill, touch and delight themselves first, then their clients, audience, using movies, art, literature, design, music from world cities like Paris, great works for clear examples. All these principles apply to the many different story media: art, film, design, games, novels, plays, journalism, business pitches and more.

The core of Peter’s teaching places the art of story as a metaphor that makes sense out of life; our equipment for living. An art as old as humanity, it takes hard work, deep insight, and a breadth of knowledge to craft a work of quality. This is not a “how to” seminar pretending to guarantee a best-seller by this time next weekend, nor does it offer a “formula”, or the “secrets of Hollywood”. Peter teaches “what is” Story with open clarity and from a position of respect for your audience — respect for all genres and media, respect for both the mainstream and the independent — and empowers writers to express the purpose of their passions. Peter hands the tools of storytelling to you and reminds you that storytellers do not sprint: they run a marathon requiring diligence, dedication, effort, passion, and time.

Peter’s teaching can be found in his books, online via The Heroine’s Journey and The Hero’s Journey or in person his world-renowned seminars. Peter has been teaching storytelling for decades. Many creative professional has sought out and benefited from his storytelling insight and expertise.

Our capacity to tell stories is one of our profoundest gifts. Peter’s approach to creating deeply engaging stories will give you the tools to wield the power of storytelling and forever change your creative business and life.