Why this creepy painting grabs your attention

Or the importance of a story

Diogo Matos
September 20, 2023

I came across this picture on Twitter the other day:

Spooky painting. Now that’s interesting.

“Sold twice, returned twice.”

Hikes. What’s wrong with this painting?

Well, that’s precisely the point. Nothing’s wrong. It’s a perfectly normal painting. But it has a story. It’s unique. How many paintings have you seen in storefronts with a claim like this? I would bet none. And that’s why it grabs your attention.

Everything we buy nowadays is commoditised. Sold by corporations without souls, without stories. We’re buying objects, services, and that’s it.

But a painting that’s been returned twice? That has a story.

An organised hiking trip that only 20% of the people finish? That has a story. That’s Nevado de Toluca.

A silver necklace crafted with traditional Portuguese handcraft techniques? That has a story. That’s Tallisma.

A software that pigeonholes itself because it believes in something? That has a story. That’s Plausible.

Your customers are looking for stories. Give them one.

💡 Exercise for you: why does your business exist? Turn that into a story. An interesting one. And tell it to whoever wants to hear it.