What if the most powerful lessons in visual storytelling were waiting for you on the streets of Florence, hidden in plain sight?
The first time I was in Florence, I didn’t go looking for street art. I was just walking through the narrow streets, taking in all the sights and sounds of this fascinating city.
Then I saw it. A cut-out paper print of a drawing of Dumbledore (of Harry Potter fame), but wearing a snorkelling mask, wheat-pasted over the top of some graffiti, signed Blub.
This was a very ‘un’-Renaissance image pasted on a very Renaissance-looking ancient wall. It was odd, and out of place. It was ‘illegal’ but it was more than just a furtive spraypainted tag: it invited curiosity rather than being a rude intrusion. And the more I walked around, the more and more street art like this I found.
In a city that was already teaching me fantastic lessons about visual storytelling through traditional Renaissance art, the city totally took me by surprise by showing me even more lessons to learn through this street art.
Visual storytelling pulls you in
Street art – good street art – doesn’t ask politely for your time. It interrupts you. There’s always something about it that is just too damn interesting to ignore, and this interruption gave me an insight into how good visual storytelling works. Good visual stories don’t shout; they pull.
When we walk the streets of Florence during the Visual Storytelling Creative Retreat, we’re not hunting for ‘content’; we’re practicing something far more valuable: noticing. Not only noticing a piece of street art, but noticing how we notice. We try to deconstruct that ‘pulling power’ of the various elements in any piece of street art.
- Is there something really familiar to us, but presented in a novel way (like Dumbledore in a snorkelling mask)?
- Is there something that pulls at our emotions (like the wispy whimsical figures hand-in-hand below)?
- Are there two or more elements juxtaposed in a curious or uncomfortable way (a modern character on an ancient surface, or one bright garish colour amongst muted colours)?
So when it comes to crafting our own visual stories, a great thing to think about is: How are my visuals pulling people in?
Visual storytelling provokes the right questions
Speaking of noticing how we notice, when you really look at (good) street art, a few questions often arise:
- What is the artist trying to say?
- Why this image, this symbol, this moment?
- Why here?
Street art is enigmatic. It can’t look too familiar (otherwise our brain goes “yawn” and moves on), and it can’t look too unfamiliar, otherwise there’s nothing to identify and relate to. Also, it can’t be too safe (otherwise we might parse it as an ad), but it can’t be too offensive either (like random stabs of graffiti).
In the piece above by Lediesis (two women who post under the same moniker), a very traditional Renaissance depiction of Mary is shown with a baby in a sling with a ‘Super’ badge on it, reframing this conventional mother persona in a really contemporary way. The wink also adds humour and charm. It dances the line well; it’s challenging without being too confronting to any religious sensibilities. It makes us ask questions about our traditional perceptions of motherhood and empowerment.
There’s a reason why people tune out in PowerPoint presentations. They’re just too familiar. They tend to follow the same patterns, with the same slides made from the same templates. So much of the street art in Florence seemed to instead provoke curiosity; our brains can’t help but start asking questions.
So, the lesson I take here is that good visual stories have a provocation. It’s often really handy to look at the visual story you’re making and ask yourself: What questions are my visuals getting the audience to ask, to keep them hooked to think more, and find out more?
Visual storytelling shows, not tells
As I said above, street art rarely explains itself; it’s enigmatic on purpose. But it often reveals its meaning through showing us, not telling us. Like the piece by Lediesis above, we’re not being ‘explained to’ about how the motherhood role has changed in modern times, but instead we’re being shown a traditional mother figure wearing something ‘non-traditional’: a baby sling. Also, the baby is wearing a headscarf in a ‘non-traditional’ way.
The way that Florentine artist Clet Abraham doctors street signs into different meanings is a great example of this, too. By overlaying iconography and other graphics onto various signs, he uses the existing power of a sign in new, creative ways. As the viewer, we get to connect some dots. We can to interpret it how we want, based on our own understanding. And in doing this, a relationship is formed between the piece, the message, and the viewer. So, good visual stories invite participation.
Visual storytellers often talk about audience engagement: how do your visuals engage your audience’s head, heart and hands?
Visual storytelling can take risks
This one’s a bit random, but I couldn’t leave it out. I think it takes guts for street artists to put their work into the world, knowing it might disappear tomorrow. No likes. No guarantees. And – with a lot of street art – no permission. Good visual stories show courage.
For visual storytellers, it’s a powerful reminder that it’s OK to take risks to show our work to see what works and what doesn’t. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t need to be polished. It doesn’t always need to ‘fit the narrative’, or fit with everyone else’s expectations. What’s often better is that it’s honest, and authentic to its subject and authentic with its audience. It might be confronting, but I want to encourgae you to think: how do your visuals show up with authenticity?
Join us
We run several different creative retreats, and our next one is our Visual Storytelling Creative Retreat in Florence, on 17-19 April 2026. It’s designed for people who tell stories and give presentations at work (illustrators and graphic recorders, but also facilitators, trainers and consultants). It’s for people who want to open up their own creativity, sharpen their observation skills, and hone their storytelling skills, all with a group of like-minded creative souls.
We’ll walk the streets of Florence and taste the best of its fine food (and coffee!). We’ll take in not only some street art, but the art at Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze. We’ll observe and reflect.
We’ll draw and sketch, and share several visual storytelling frameworks and methods. And everyone has the opportunity to translate all this into their own story and their own creative practice.
Right now, there’s an earlybird discount, too! €200 off your registration, for a limited time.
So, if you’ve been craving:
- Fresh creative perspective
- Deeper intention behind your visuals
- Space to think, walk, and create
- Connection with other creatives
…this retreat is for you!
Register now and save €200 with the Earlybird offer.
Places are limited (we keep the group small for maximum benefit for everyone), and Florence has a way of rewarding those who say yes early!
