{"id":28495,"date":"2022-09-20T11:39:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T11:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open-up.ch\/portraits-we-love-them-because-theyre-so-human\/"},"modified":"2022-09-23T11:14:49","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T11:14:49","slug":"portraits-we-love-them-because-theyre-so-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open-up.ch\/en\/portraits-we-love-them-because-theyre-so-human\/","title":{"rendered":"Portraits: we love them because they\u2019re so human"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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20.09.2022|<\/p>\n

Portraits: we love them because they\u2019re so human<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We humans are curious and interested in our fellow humans. Sometimes we like to put ourselves in other people\u2019s shoes, understand them and learn something from them. Journalistic portraits cater to this need. They also have a firm place in corporate communications. <\/strong><\/p>

Most people think of a visual image when they hear the word portrait. But portraits can also be painted with words. The portrait is the genre where authors try get to grips with a person in writing. It\u2019s a snapshot of the life of a woman or man, often someone in the public eye. But great portraits are also written about completely unknown people with an extraordinary story,<\/p>

Readers love portraits. I\u2019m one of them. I also write portraits myself on a regular basis. They always give me, and I hope my readers too, the assurance that I\u2019m not completely alone with my experiences and perceptions. One I\u2019ll never forget is the head of Zurich\u2019s crematoria, who confessed he was prone to tears. I recognised myself in him. I also like people who\u2019ve had to struggle for things in their lives, who\u2019ve fallen over and picked themselves up again. My barber Ghamkin Saleh, a former refugee who also now produces films, never lets things get him down. He\u2019s a role model for me.<\/p>

Celebrities are human too\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>

The fact that we\u2019re interested in what other people think is something deeply human. Portraits trigger concern. They also cater to another need: people\u2019s thirst for gossip. This is something journalists are also well aware of. Nothing is more exciting than when a neighbour calls and asks \u201cDid you hear what happened to John today?\u201d It\u2019s even more exciting when the person\u2019s a celebrity.<\/p>

The outstanding article entitled \u201cWer ich wirklich bin\u201d<\/span><\/a> (\u201cwho I am really\u201d) published in Das Magazin\u00a0certainly provided people with something to talk about. After all, the former tennis star gave readers an insight into her innermost being. That\u2019s why no media title these days can afford not to publish portraits, not even that rather staid old institution on Falkenstrasse, the NZZ<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>

Corporate communications get the human touch as well<\/strong><\/p>

Increasingly you\u2019ll also find portraits on corporate websites. Companies have realised that people are basically more credible than product descriptions written in \u201ccorporate speak\u201d. \u201cEscher\u201d, a yearbook geared to SMEs put out by Credit Suisse, presents a portrait of entrepreneur Anja Graf<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0In the best case, a reader will be inspired by a businesswoman who, starting from scratch, built a small empire of 2,000 apartments. Because we\u2019re not isolated beings, but live in a network of individuals who can learn from each other.<\/p>

As part of corporate storytelling, portraits have become an integral component of corporate communications. In an effort to destigmatise hearing aids, Sonova produced a video clip entitled \u201cLife without limitations \u2013 the story of Simon Ollert\u201d<\/span><\/a>. This portrait of professional footballer with profound hearing loss boosted the company\u2019s image and more than paid off, also for the young sportsman himself.<\/p>

How to write a portrait<\/strong><\/p>

It all starts with research. The more you know about a person, the easier it is to bring up interesting topics in conversation with them. Some storytellers put together a list of questions and script the conversation. The problem is that an exchanged that should have been relaxed and entertaining degenerates into an interview. You can\u2019t plan a conversation. It simply has to happen. For this reason I only jot down a few topics as food for thought. Once I meet the person, I proceed intuitively. After writing hundreds of portraits I can say that it helps to say something about yourself. It also helps to have the courage to ask questions.<\/p>

Readers are always fascinated by personal experiences \u2013 a brilliant idea, a decision, a job loss or even an illness \u2013 and how they\u2019ve affected the person\u2019s actions and thinking.<\/p>

A portrait lives from what the person has to say about themselves. Naturally that only works if they\u2019re also prepared to give away something personal. That requires trust. Gaining trust isn\u2019t always easy. Sometimes the person\u2019s very reserved and would prepare not to say anything at all about themselves. In a case like that, the trick is to get them to tell you something about their life. After writing hundreds of portraits I can say that it helps to say something about yourself. It also helps to have the courage to ask questions.<\/p>

A portrait is successful when it tells a story that vividly describes the person\u2019s thoughts and actions. Ideally, the written portrait reflects their personality authentically and from different perspectives. But this is often a matter of opinion.<\/p>

So it\u2019s important to have the person approve what you\u2019ve written. They should recognise themselves in the portrait. That\u2019s their right. After all, they placed themselves at your disposal.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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About the author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Philippe Welti is astonished at just how much personal stuff people reveal to him. He would have like to have asked his great-grandmother, portrayed in a tinted photo shortly before her wedding in 1893, what she imagined living with someone would be like.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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