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Hello, and Happy New Year!

Back in 2011, I was focused on writing the Art of Explanation. It was my first book and I was on the hook for turning years of practical experience into paragraphs and chapters. Sometimes, this kind of pressure is what you need to see ideas and concepts that you'd taken for granted over time.

In the book, I talk about "fact telling", which is often the culprit in poor explanations. We present a set of facts, without context or story, and leave the audience to figure out the meaning of the facts.

The other side of the coin is storytelling. Story is a powerful tool in explanations, but story alone can't often do the job. If your goal is to explain an idea, your story needs substance. It needs to have elements of fact to resonate.

I thought a lot about how to frame this powerful combination, and I found the solution in this line, which has become one of the most well-known quotes from the book.

"Facts give stories substance. Stories give facts meaning."

The next time you're explaining an idea, remember this. Your explanation may need a balance of both.

​Link to this article​

Explainer Video Workshop - A Few Seats Left

Our winter workshop kicks off next week. All sessions will be recorded and distributed to enrollees, so if you can't make a live session, you won't miss out.

About the Workshop

Join me for five hours of online instruction via Zoom, where you'll learn how to create your own animated explainer video using presentation software. The sessions will be once a week for five weeks. We'll go through every phase together, from writing the script to animating and sharing the final video. Learn more​

Enrollees will receive:

• Five 1-hour online sessions (Zoom) with Lee and other enrollees
• Three Explainer Academy courses that never expire
  • ​Explanation Master Course ($199)​
  • ​How to Produce Animated Explainer Videos ($149)​
  • ​How to Create Readable Videos ($129)​
• Access to our online library of 3,300 Cut-outs
• Multiple guides, templates, and models in PDF
• All sessions will be recorded and available in the workshop workspace.

The Schedule:

We'll meet for one hour per week for five weeks

• Session 1: Tuesday, January 9th, 11am PT (1 Hour)
• Session 2: Tuesday, January 16th, 11am PT (1 Hour)
• Session 3: Monday, January 22nd, 11am PT (1 Hour)
• Session 4: Tuesday, January 30th, 11am PT (1 Hour)
• Session 5: Tuesday, February 6th, 11am PT (1 Hour)

This workshop has just 6 seats left that may go quickly.

If you have questions, feel free to reply to this email, or schedule a quick call.

I hope to see you in the workshop!

Lee LeFever

​Common Craft and Explainer Academy​