The storytelling trick I stole from a street vendor

In partnership with

friend, a few months ago the family and I took road trip through the hills.
No real plan just some music, a notebook, and silence.

Stopped at a roadside craft shop where this old Jamaican potter was working.
He didn’t say much just nodded, then kept shaping clay with his hands.

But as I watched, he said something that stopped me:

“You don’t find your style.
You return to it.”

He talked about copying other potters when he first started.
Making what he thought people wanted.
Polishing his technique until it looked perfect
But felt empty.

It wasn’t until he started shaping clay with his eyes closed,
thinking about his grandmother’s backyard,
that his work finally stood out.

That line echoed in my head:

You don’t find your style. You return to it.

Man.

That’s exactly what it feels like with content, too.

We all start by watching the pros.
We mimic the formats.
We say what’s “safe.”

But the real turning point?
It’s when you stop performing and start remembering.

Remembering the stories that shaped you.
The struggles you hid.
The moments you still don’t know how to explain.

Let me side track a bit (to this day I do not know how I manage as a stay at home dad)

Let’s get back on track:

That’s when the content hits different.
That’s when strangers turn into clients.
And when you stop chasing virality
Because connection is enough.

Last week, I’ve been letting more of that seep into what I write.

The awkward years.
The freelancing nights.
The dad-life chaos.
All of it.

And you know what?

It’s working.

Not because it’s perfect.
But because it’s mine.

This week, I’ll share a storytelling shift I’ve been testing quietly.

But for now
Let this be your reminder:

See you tomorrow,
Stephen

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