“A problem well stated is a problem half solved.” - Charles Kettering
"I feel like I have so much to share. But there is only an hour. Everything ends up feeling rushed."
A participant shared this in a recent storytelling workshop. It was an honest reflection that let others admit that they too shared this feeling.
And if you have ever walked out of a presentation thinking I did not quite land that, you have felt this too. I know I have.
The usual instinct is to move faster next time - shorter sentences, quicker transitions and less space between slides.
That rarely works.
The Solution
When we feel rushed, we assume the constraint is time. But more often, we are trying to pack too many ideas in the time we have. It is no surprise that the conversation keeps switching tracks while the audience tries to make sense of each thing.
One of the ideas we keep coming back to in storytelling is this: great storytelling is not about adding more. It is about helping your audience experience ONE clear idea.
Not three. Not five. One.
Because that is what people can actually hold on to, question, and build on. And that is what makes the rest of the conversation productive.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Before any presentation or conversation, ask yourself a different question. Instead of how do I fit everything in? try what is the one thing I want them to walk away with?
Everything else starts to fall into place. You notice what can be left out, simplified, or saved for later.
Try This Week
For your next meeting or conversation, first ask yourself: “If someone had to sum this up in one line later, what would I want them to say?
Second, treat everything else as support. Your examples and slides exist to help that one idea land; if they don’t they are just noise.
Third, create space. Stay with the idea a little longer than feels comfortable. Let people react and connect it to their own context.
From Elsewhere - Liúbái
There is a concept in traditional Chinese painting called Liúbái. It translates roughly to "leaving blank" or "reserved emptiness." The void is not an absence, but a space of infinite potential and the source of an artwork's "spirit resonance". For the viewer it is an invitation to participate, complete the scene with their imagination, and move from observation to experience.
In a world that often equates "more" with "better," the concept of Liúbái is a powerful reminder of the opposite: what is left unsaid and unpainted often carries the most weight. Read more »