“What’s your story?” How many monumental human experiences have emanated from this simple question? 

Researchers believe that as far back as 300,000 years ago, our ancestors could speak as we do now—and told stories. Studies show that even today, our brains are wired for storytelling, not logic. Which makes sense. Stories bind us and help us make sense of the world.

My storytelling began with a pencil and my mother’s grocery list notebook. I appropriated it and began drafting fictional short stories, mostly based on Chuck Norris movies. Good guys, bad guys, car chases, and lots of martial arts. I remember my fingers hurting after long sessions of squeezing my pencil, just knowing that someone else might love my little narrative. I eventually went to college to study photojournalism, telling stories with a camera, and I continue to do much of the same today. And yes, I stopped stealing my mother’s notebooks and got my own.

Blurb is about to celebrate twenty years, and I am about to celebrate my fifteenth year at the company. One of the main reasons I wanted to work with Blurb was the origin story. Photographer Eileen Gittins founded Blurb when she needed a beautiful, coffee-table-style book, but in limited quantities, and at the time, there was no solution available. So, she created one. The impact was revolutionary. Finally, photographers could produce books of our work with free software, numerous material options, and a bookstore to sell and distribute.

How I found my way to Blurb

When I first heard about Blurb, I did what I always did when discovering a new print company. I made a test book. Then I made another and another.

Weeks later, my phone rang, and it was the Eileen Gittins. “Your books look weird,” she said. “Who are you, why are you using us, and what do you want in the future?” 

No other print company had ever reached out, and no other company asked what I wanted. At the end of the call, Eileen suggested I join Blurb’s advisory board, and 15 years later, I’m still lurking around company headquarters.

I still feel I have the best job in the world. During my time with Blurb I’ve given hundreds of talks to bookmakers and storytellers all over the world. I’ve attended photo and art festivals, and I even ventured out on a cruise ship to teach a group of bloggers how to best utilize print in their online worlds. I’ve been to Australia three times, Europe a dozen times, and I’ve done multi-city tours across Canada and the United States. I’ve even traveled to Asia, Africa, and Latin America to teach Blurb workshops. But there are a few memories that stand out.

The stories that stayed with me

I was in Paris during the 2015 terror attacks. What had been a night of photographic and printing celebration became a shelter-in-place moment. The following morning, I visited the attack sites with a fellow photographer. The crowd was defiant yet fearful of more attacks. I raised my Fuji and framed broken glass, bullet holes, and blood beneath my feet. That night and the following days etched the idea of perspective into my mind. Books are important, but life trumps all. 

On a lighter note, in 2014, Blurb was named the Corporate Award recipient by the George Eastman House at their Light and Motion Gala. I was invited to cover the event. The best part was that Blurb was presented with the award onstage by American screenwriter, film producer, editor, director, and cinematographer Steven Soderbergh. I was and am a huge Soderbergh fan, so I worked all angles to try to capture him without being too annoying.

While in Brooklyn waiting to attend a Blurb meeting, I “accidentally” met one of my all-time heroes, photographer Gilles Peress. I was sitting in a café writing with my Leica on the table when a man walked by and said, “Nice camera.” I looked up to see Gilles staring back at me. 

He invited me to his studio, where I viewed his ongoing projects, and then we finished with lunch on his patio. Seeing his work during my photo school education changed my life. Meeting him was one of the highlights of my entire career. 

The final moment I’ll mention is visiting National Geographic. Like many photographers, I was hugely influenced by the yellow magazine, so getting a chance to visit the headquarters was as thrilling and intimidating as you might imagine. 

During the visit, I walked by the office of photographer Jodi Cobb, someone I knew from the “On Assignment” page at the back of each issue. There she was, editing a pile of transparencies. When she noticed me lurking in the doorway, she invited me in. 

When I told her why I was there, she said, “Hey, do you want to go to Tipper Gore’s house to talk about Blurb and making books?” A few hours later, I was talking with Tipper. 

I’ve always felt the camera is a passport of sorts, putting you in places you might not otherwise be. I feel the same about Blurb. Books are a passport, too.

The next 20 years of story

So, why am I still here after fifteen years? Maybe I could have convinced Soderbergh to cast me, and my life would be private jets and after parties. Or maybe I could have stayed in Australia and become a Bondi Beach lifeguard. 

I stayed at Blurb because I love it, and I stayed because print matters. 

The modern world is a world of noise, but books serve as a silent reminder of what truly matters. Books last. Books force you to provide critical thought, and books are confrontational because they force you to put your mobile phone down. Books demand the currency of the modern world: undivided attention.

The future excites me. Not just for Blurb, or for myself, but for us, humanity. 

We’ve been telling stories since our species emerged, and I see no signs of this slowing down anytime soon. Our tools and options are improving, and we have more avenues to share than ever before. The power of the individual storyteller can and does shape and change the world. All of us have something to say. You, me, us, them. 

So, if you haven’t put your story in print, now is the time to try.

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Dan Milnor has spent years turning stories into beautiful books and helping creatives like you do the same. With Blurb, you have everything you need to bring your story to life: design, print, and share it with the world, all on your terms. Start today.