I would have, you never asked. | Larry Smith | TEDxColumbusWomen

Summary

The speaker reflects on their grandfather, 'Smitty,' a man beloved for his stories and connections. When asked to recount his life, Smitty initially found it unremarkable, but two hours later, his rich history unfolded. This led the speaker to start a community where people share their own stories, inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s six-word novel challenge. The 'Six-Word Memoir' project empowered people to express complex life stories in a brief yet powerful format, becoming a tool for self-reflection, connection, and storytelling across various communities and situations.

Takeaways

• 😀 Everyone has a story, but it often takes asking the right questions to uncover it.
• 📽 The speaker's grandfather, Smitty, thought his life was too ordinary to be worth telling, but after some encouragement, he shared his story for over two hours.
• 📜 Inspired by Smitty, the speaker created an online community called 'Smith,' where people share their personal stories.
• ✍️ The 'Six-Word Memoir' project was born from a challenge to capture the essence of a story in just six words, inspired by Ernest Hemingway.
• 🖋 The limitation of six words encouraged creativity, allowing people to write with humor, self-awareness, and without apology.
• 💬 This community grew into a platform where people shared significant moments of their lives, including triumphs, challenges, and everyday experiences.
• 👧 Teens, in particular, embraced the Six-Word Memoirs, often using them to express their emotions, struggles, and joys.
• 🎖 Veterans used the Six-Word format to share their complex experiences from war, helping to start conversations about difficult topics.
• 🎨 Six-Word Memoirs were also embraced in various creative spaces, like music festivals and public gatherings, encouraging strangers to connect and share their stories.
• 📚 Ultimately, the speaker's goal is to help people understand themselves and others better through storytelling, showing that everyone's life has value and nuance.

Q & A

What inspired the creation of the Six-Word Memoir project?

The Six-Word Memoir project was inspired by the creator’s grandfather, Smitty, who was a great storyteller but initially thought his own life was too ordinary to be retold. This led the creator to realize that everyone has a story, and it also took inspiration from a Hemingway anecdote about writing a novel in six words.

How did the creator first engage with their grandfather’s story?

The creator tricked their grandfather, Smitty, into telling his story by pretending to test a new video camera, asking him to talk for a couple of minutes about his life. This conversation ended up lasting two and a half hours.

What key lesson did the creator learn from asking Smitty to tell his story?

The creator learned that everyone has a story, but you have to ask the right questions to hear it. This realization sparked a journey to help others tell their own stories.

What does the six-word constraint bring to storytelling?

The six-word constraint fuels creativity by making storytelling more concise and focused. The limitation forces people to distill their life experiences into a simple yet profound format.

How did the Six-Word Memoir project evolve into a community?

The Six-Word Memoir project began as a series of writing prompts but evolved into a community of storytellers who shared their personal stories. People connected through shared experiences and found creative ways to express their lives in six words.

What are some common themes found in Six-Word Memoirs?

Common themes in Six-Word Memoirs include birth, death, love, heartbreak, challenges, and triumphs. People write with self-awareness, humor, and honesty, often sparking conversations around personal and universal experiences.

What impact did the Six-Word Memoir project have on different groups of people?

The project impacted various groups, including teens, veterans, and even religious leaders. Teens used it to express their emotions and identity, while veterans found it as a way to share difficult war experiences. Religious leaders used the six-word format to explore complex questions of faith.

How did people use the Six-Word Memoir project at public events like music festivals?

At public events like the Treasure Island Music Festival, participants were invited to write their six-word memoirs and pin them on clotheslines. This created an interactive space for people to share their stories, leading to spontaneous conversations among strangers.

What role do celebrities play in the Six-Word Memoir project?

Celebrities participated in the project, but they had the same constraints as everyone else—no more and no less than six words. This created a level playing field, making the project inclusive regardless of fame or obscurity.

What personal story did the creator share in six words?

The creator shared their own six-word memoir: 'Big hair, big heart, big hurry.' This memoir reflects their personality and life experience in a concise, memorable way.