What If the Story in the Picture Isn’t the Story You See?
Something funny happened with one of my recent BinderScenes.
I had a Pokémon card featuring Charcadet. In the original artwork, he’s apparently watching a fight. There’s an octagon-shaped ring in the background, and once you know what you’re looking at, it’s pretty obvious.
Except… that isn’t what I saw.
I saw the dramatic lighting. The colors. The crowd-like atmosphere.
I thought: concert.
So that’s what I made.
For the reel, I added the text:
The boys said he’s watching a fight…
I thought a concert would be better.
And people had opinions. 😂
Some confirmed that yes, he’s definitely watching a fight. Others joined in on the joke. Someone suggested maybe he was watching a Chandelure concert. Before long, people were talking to each other in the comments about what was happening in this tiny little scene.
And I loved it.
Because isn’t that basically what we do when we read?
We Don’t All See the Same Story
An author can describe a room, a city, a character, or an entire magical world—but every reader builds a slightly different version of it in their head.
That’s part of the magic of books.
I can give you the color of the walls, tell you rain is tapping against the windows, and describe an old chair sitting beside the fireplace.
But the room you’re picturing right now?
It’s probably not exactly the room I’m picturing.
And that’s okay. Actually, I think that’s kind of wonderful.
The Story Beyond the Picture
I’m realizing that’s also one of the things I enjoy most about creating BinderScenes.
I start with a tiny piece of artwork and ask: What else could be happening here?
Maybe the character isn’t where the original artist intended anymore.
Maybe the background stretches into a completely different world.
Maybe a battle becomes a concert.
A snowy field becomes the edge of a magical village.
A quiet little moment becomes the beginning of an adventure.
It’s the same part of my brain I use when I’m writing fiction—the part that looks at something ordinary and immediately starts wondering what might exist just beyond what I can see.
Maybe That’s Where Stories Begin
We spend a lot of time talking about creativity as making something completely new.
But sometimes creativity starts much smaller than that.
Sometimes it’s looking at something that’s already there and seeing another possibility.
A different setting.
A different explanation.
A different story.
And maybe someone else looks at the exact same thing and sees something completely different.
That’s the fun of it.
Sometimes creativity isn’t about seeing what’s there. It’s about seeing what else could be there.
And apparently, sometimes what’s there is a fight…
…but I still think the concert was better. 😉
