My Thing. Emily Kay Goodman, writer.

“Owning a story is available to anyone. I’ve worked on stories with people who don’t have access to traditional forms of education, to people who can’t read or write in English and people so excluded from terms like ‘literature’ that they didn’t believe they could tell stories. ”

Emily Kay Goodman is your regular dancer turned bartender turned marketing professional turned creative writer and business owner. She now specialises in writing stories for brands and businesses and collaborates with the Creative Industries on fiction projects.

The ‘One Thing’ I want to be known for

Protecting the creative process. Too often, we are told or tell ourselves to rush or even dismiss the 'unproductive' elements of work. This is a dangerous notion on both a personal and professional scale.

Dwelling, idling, mulling, concentrating and collaborating are all essential for producing ideas, and they are being squeezed out of the working day. We need pockets of time dedicated to making better choices. We need amateurs. We need prompts. We need discussion. We need reflection.

We need inspiration from unexpected twists and turns to motivate the creative gears into motion. If we are to get over hurdles and grow, we need to protect our creative process with determination and doggedness.

The ‘One Thing’ I care about deeply

Giving people the tools to create narratives. Long ago, stories were delivered verbally. They didn’t need to be written down because they were memorable. When you know your story (or your brand story), you know a journey through a dramatic landscape of peaks and valleys so well that it becomes intuitive.

Being intuitive helps you make decisions, it allows people to know you (or your business), it helps you to build from a foundational place. Being memorable helps your audience (or customers) find you.

You help them to orient themselves in unfamiliar terrain. Stories are conceived through the nurturing and understanding of people, places and plots using tools like language, narrative voice, description, point of view, form, pace and dialogue: these are what I want to pass on.

The ‘One Thing’ I want to inspire in others

That owning a story is available to anyone. I've worked on stories with people who don't have access to traditional forms of education, to people who can't read or write in English and people so excluded from terms like 'literature' that they didn't believe they could tell stories.

With a little encouragement, some access points and time to develop, they were soon giving me breathtaking narratives. Stories are universal, and with a little empowerment, they can belong to anybody and everybody.

The ‘One Thing’ I enjoy most about the creative process

When a story is out of your head, you can look at it and evaluate it kindly but objectively. You can see all the tenderness and foolhardy moments, all the bonkers and bold stuff. You can look at it as an object and marvel at it. It can't nag or control you. It's just a series of moments that spread a little joy.

The ‘One Thing’ I want others to feel when they engage with my work

I want people to feel the hot flush of inspiration!

The One Creative you must start following today

Barry Cawston @barrycawston_studio is my friend, neighbour and collaborator

Follow Emily on Instagram or book a storytelling workshop here.