I once saw a man do 20 back flips in 20 seconds. Granted this was on vimeo, but still…it was damn exhausting to watch. What if he tried to do 19 more equally amazing tricks? In a row? That’s just ridiculous.

I had my first Pecha Kucha experience on Monday night. The term loosely translates to “chit-chat,” though when I walked into the venue (Le Poisson Rouge), chit-chat took the form of shouting over live music. Good thing I brought my glow sticks to navigate through the crowd.

So Pecha Kucha is fun! I want to try it sometime. I like any form of storytelling that has restraints on what you can do – whether that’s through visuals, time, or word choice (like last month’s David Bowie love story).

In case you’re not familiar with Pecha Kucha, the formula is quite simple:

X = 20 slides + 20 seconds/slide

Six minutes and forty seconds – that’s all you get to cover 20 slides. The X variable here is defined as a particularly innovative and/or artistic person, like: Dickson Despommier (heck yes, vertical farming), DJ Spooky, Tina Roth Eisenberg (aka swissmiss) and Jonathan Harris, who gave me a newfound respect for whale hunting and the accompanying blubber. Good stuff.

If I could describe a solid Pecha Kucha presentation in one word, it might be: HUMILITY. The presentations I was drawn to didn’t shove 20 back flips into each slide. They taught me something new, without cramming each slide to the brim. They said, “Hey, follow this story,” not “Hey, memorize these chronicles.” That’s easier said than done, especially when you’re talking about something you’re so passionate about.

Something to Think About: Kucha Pecha. Rules in reverse: Slides can display only words, no pictures. Speakers must rely on music and/or performance art to convey their point. Sounds very silly, actually…like an elaborate game of charades.