Bring it to the Streets

The demands of the environment often clash with the physical and social needs of the individual. The conscious mind uses storytelling to grapple with these internal conflicts to bring the individual into accord with culture and nature. 

In my last blog post, I discussed the use of Story Quest Walks in nature. I demonstrated how the grandeur of nature kindle creativity, active experimentation, self-discovery and open the coach-client relationship in powerful ways. But what about those instances where a grand and natural landscape  is not available to you? There’s only one option, take the Story Quest Walk and bring it to the streets! 

The goal of a Story Quest Walk is to put clients back into accord with culture and nature through myth making and metaphor. Myth, in Joseph Campbell’s estimation, links us back to the culture of the society we live in and the even deeper need to connect with nature. Research substantiates that nature connection evokes our natural curiosity, problem solving and healing properties. Joseph Campbell describes the relationship between human functioning, nature and culture saying, “The mind can ramble off in strange ways, and want things that the body does not want. And the myths and rites were means to put the mind in accord with the body, and the way of life in accord with the way that nature dictates.”* Clients seek coaching to change their lives and we use storytelling to empower clients to change themselves. The question is how to apply myth and connection to nature in a modern urban environment. 

In Story Quest Walks, there is an emphasis on setting. The natural setting is ideal for broadening a client’s viewpoint.  In an urban environment, setting is just as important, but instead of broadening a viewpoint, urban environments lend themselves to zooming in on a client’s specific setting.  

Story Quest Walks in urban spaces allow for the exploration of clients’ experiences with the nature and culture available to them. We still use storytelling techniques in built environments and focus on experiences with the senses, but we do not force awareness. Instead, we allow our senses to be enticed by the natural and cultural smells, sounds and metaphor found on the city block. 

Smell is the most autobiographical sense. The aroma of local cuisine floats in the air. What we consume is deeply rooted in biology, nature and social connection. Asking questions that connect clients to the local food awakens their storytelling self and their awareness of belonging. What relationship do they have with the smells around them? Perhaps they have no connection, possibly revealing a feeling of alienation or isolation. Story Quest Walks provide a time for observation and awareness to surface. 

Beyond perception, our senses play an integral role in emotional processing, learning and interpretation. Story Quest Walks work with clients’ senses to explore their emotional reactions to the environment. Whereas smell draws clients toward thoughts of the past up through the present, sound affects mood. For example, athletes often use music to boost their energy and optimism before a game.   

Additionally, visual art activates emotional centers in the brain that resonate with the artist’s expressed emotion. Artistic expression exposes not only the ideas and attitudes of a culture, but also carries rules that govern the community, conflicts they grapple with, and their dreams for the future. A client’s reaction to different artistic mediums or styles can help reveal where they see themselves within the context of their culture now and in the future.  Does the setting present as a barrier to the goals? Are they stressed by the sounds of the city or moved into action? Are they lashing out at what’s around them or having trouble finding peace in the chaotic environment? Such insights are essential for understanding the client’s context and the coaching-client relationship. 

Evidence of nature can be excavated in the urban landscape like a treasure. The role of the coach is to ask powerful questions to build the client’s attention around these gems without forcing the conversation a certain direction. The smell of a tree, the sound of birds chirping, the shape of clouds in the sky, the sweet-tangy favor of an apple, raises their mood, sparks positive emotions, and in turn opens up the creative mindset.  

In the new era of functioning safely under the threat of the pandemic, the variety of surroundings clients can choose for themselves has drastically contracted, affecting their sense of agency, performance, and goal achievement. Storytelling uncovers emotional and cognitive barriers, as well as opportunities, in a safe and nonthreatening way for the coaching process. Mentor Agility instructor John Bucher offers guidance, “Remember, the goal is not to describe every detail but to instead provide details that help you and your client process the ‘rules’ and ‘feel’ of the world.” By walking with clients in their environment, their emotions and thoughts correlated to unseen motivations expose opportunities for powerful coaching inquiry. As clients unpack their experience, to their surprise they often reclaim their urban space with a new narrative and a fresh appreciation of their resources. 

*Joseph Campbell, Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth with Bill Moyers 

© Mentor Agility 2022