You Don't Always Need to Tell a Story

Sometimes, all you need to do with creativity is lean into a vibe.

"Making a video" is a daunting task for a lot of people, especially in the age of scrolling where you probably want to instantly grab attention.

What's the hook? Is there a beginning, middle, and end? Where's the punchline?

Sometimes, I forget about all of that and lean into creative ideas that work 'on frame one'. The example above is a series where I meticulously sliced away fruits and vegetables in stop-motion. On frame one, you basically get the concept and can mindlessly enjoy the rest of the video.

No surprises. No story arcs. Just a vibe - in this case, a very relaxing one.

I recently wrote about how small businesses can easily approach storytelling. This is kind of the opposite of that. Sometimes it's equally as captivating to see a glimpse of manufacturing. Maybe a bit of finalizing the packaging on a product. Or capturing the 20-seconds of the most meticulous part of your process.

If I knit sweaters full-time, maybe I'd film a close up of the intricately patterned needle work and either lean into the natural sounds or add some faint jazz. What I'd be doing is removing myself and any storytelling from the video - simply create a vibe and see if you can pull people in.