Cleve Gibbon

Pablo Picasso once said:

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

It can be difficult to give our gifts away in capitalist societies where we struggle to achieve economic security for our families. Regardless, we need to discover our gifts in order to decide how to provide for ourselves and others, whether that means selling our talents or giving them away.

When I was young, I thought my gift was long-distance running. This evolved into a passion for athletics, and then football. But then I discovered technology. As I learned more about myself, I found that I’m an extrovert in public settings and an introvert in private ones. In other words, I love to research independently and share my findings broadly in person. My ideal platform for sharing is on a stage or in a meeting. I dislike using other people’s material; I need to develop the story and tell it my way. My gift is storytelling—specifically, how technology evolves and impacts people and their environments. And those people could be employees, consumers, friends, family, or you!

Technology Storytelling

Technology storytelling is crucial. Our technological canvas is expanding, with more and more ways to color in between blurred lines. Storytelling gives technology purpose, establishes boundaries, and guides how we begin our journey with it. It clearly articulates where you are today, why things matter to you, where you could be, and your best next steps to get there.

I didn’t know it at the time, but my first career as a university lecturer revolved around storytelling. I taught computer science students about the application of technology within industry. My subsequent careers in the private sector allowed me to gain experience and expertise in doing just that. And guess what? 30 years later, technology storytelling remains essential—a gift that keeps on giving. There are so many ways to share it, even beyond the realm of technology. So I’m super excited about what’s to come.