At its core, scent storytelling is the art of sharing narratives using scent as the primary building block of plot, character, theme and setting. Whereas traditional storytelling uses written or spoken words to communicate, scent storytelling conveys messages using aromas. Scent storytelling transcends cognitive and language barriers to inspire, provoke thought, offer aesthetic pleasure, spark creativity and stimulate imagination.

Arguably our first and most important sense, olfaction is our sense of smell. It involves detecting and perceiving aromas in our nose, and then processing and decoding these signals in the most ancient parts of our brains. At Bright Black, we take the process of olfaction even further by connecting it to our hearts and using it to create scent art. 

By centering storytelling as a fundamental human activity and art as an essential pathway towards connecting with others, we see scent storytelling not only as a potent form of creative expression, but also as an important tool for fostering understanding. Over the years, we’ve crafted scent stories to highlight people, places, events and pivotal moments in time. We’ve also worked with numerous partners to scent their brands, advocacy campaigns, and personal and professional environments. 

Through this work, we are able to harness the power of scent for cultural preservation, and to help our community experience their worlds in new ways. We use aromas to educate ourselves and others, to transport ourselves to far away lands, to foster new understandings of the past and to reimagine our collective futures.