Purpose & Passion: 3 Stories

   In our summer newsletter, Jill Blair framed TWI’s theory of change as dialogue + connection + relationships = impact. How to capture that equation in compelling and creative ways is an ongoing question for TWI – as it is for many who participate in gatherings that open up spaces for meaningful conversation and connection.

Jon Funabiki, Renaissance Journalism’s Executive Director admirably meets that challenge with his recent posts about “Purpose and Passion,” a storytelling retreat for journalists – and that TWI was pleased to support. I urge you to read all three.

In his first post, Jon provides a thoughtful overview of what transpired and some of the people involved. His second explores the metaphor of wearing a mask and the question: “What does it mean if we can’t be our “authentic selves” with our colleagues?” Certainly, this is a question that applies to all of us no matter what field we are in. I was in a small group conversation just this week that asked: What does it mean if funders and grantees (or grant seekers) can’t be their authentic selves with each other?

His third post, “Listening for when the bow string sings,” offers some wisdom and a lovely metaphor that emerged from their discussions. Taken together, Jon’s three posts paint a powerful picture of what can happen when we create the time and space to share stories and engage in deep inquiry and reflection. One of the journalists who participated wrote, “It is so rare to be able to connect with colleagues in this field in such a personal human way.”

With more reporting like Jon’s, I think such efforts might indeed become less rare. And if they become more commonplace ( a guy can hope!), who knows what might happen?