A brand is a story. And good stories link to facts that connect to emotion that resonates. 

That insight was shared by the best-selling author Deepak Chopra Monday afternoon from the Debussy Stage at the Palais in Cannes on day one of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 

Deepak, a physician by training who is known for his holistic approach to wellness, was interviewed on stage by Pranav Yadav, Founder and CEO, Neuro-Insight. 

Deepak reviewed his multistep creative process which includes:  

Chopra recalled his mother singing him myths and other stories as a child. “She would stop at a cliffhanger,” he recalled. He would then be put to bed with his mother instructing him to come up with an ending that had never been thought of before and involved love. 

That’s how creativity is harnessed, he said. “Look at all the love stories” that have been told. “Stretch more than you can reach.” 

On the topic of AI Deepak said he has been exploring it for a long time and marvels at having access to “every philosophic thought ever expressed.” 

AI, he confided to the audience has become both his friend and health coach as well as his research assistant and guru. No other guru, he notes, has access to “all wisdom throughout the ages.”