I recently spoke at our local Creative Mornings, the monthly breakfast lecture series hosted in cities around the nation. The theme was “Reuse in Creativity.” No, it wasn’t a celebration of plagiarism. Rather, I presented a workshop on how to create more powerful stories for sustainability initiatives and green marketing, which are already replete with plagiarism (Leafs on logos, globes in hands, sprigs growing out of lumps of coal).

I led with my “Got Green? and 10 Other Brand Curdling Clichés of Green Marketing” rant just so the audience understood where I stood on what I see as a profound lack of creative storytelling in sustainability these days. Then I showed them how to easily create novel stories for their clients and brands that have meaning. Meaning makes their messages matter to their audiences. And when the story matters, movements are ignited.

Creative Mornings with Park Howell from CreativeMornings/PHX on Vimeo.

You can download the storytelling workbook I handed out and went through with the Creative Mornings crowd. Use the nine steps in the book to craft your story, any story, and feel free to email it to me. I will be happy to review your work and answer any questions you have about becoming a more powerful – and sustainable – storyteller to help you nudge the world in any direction you choose.

To avoid the most popular green cliché land mines, take the “Got Green?” quiz before writing your story. I’m sure you’re not prone to “Creative Reuse,” but it doesn’t hurt to double check.