The Magic in Storytelling: Tales from Bhutan

The fabric of our lives, the experiences and memories, create a tapestry of the stories of our existence. Each person weaves their own tale unique in design. Within the very human experience is the universal art of storytelling, whether through art, lyrics, poetry or spoken word by the fireside.

A photographer at heart, 21-year-old Tandin Phubz loves the ability to tell stories with his photos and to move others with his images,

“Storytelling has always been a part of me and who I am, whether it maybe through timeless stills or moving images. I remember in the heat of Bihar, India picking up my father’s digital camera for the first time to capture the sights, this was the start of my journey with photography” Phubz fondly recalls.

In a time of recommended social distancing Tandin Phubz instead dreamt of bringing us closer by creating the fast-growing, popular online page ‘Humans of Thimphu’ (HoT) in October of 2020. Phubz was first inspired by another fellow photographer Brandon Stanton who started the movement in 2010 with his now famous page ‘Humans of New York’.  Another page that followed Stanton’s footsteps called the ‘Humans of Bombay’ founded by Karishma Mehta has influenced Phubz’s creative direction of his page,

“My passion for photography led me to photo journalism and the desire to share the stories of the people I capture. Every city has their own page showcasing their unique humans, so I thought why not for the city I love and live in?” Phubz shared.

The online platform houses intimate and beautiful snapshots of everyday Bhutanese accompanied by personal and intimate anecdotes from their lives,

“Humans of Thimphu is a story-telling social media platform sharing the lives of the people Bhutan. Initially the stories were only from Thimphu but soon pieces came in from across the country, as everyone has a special story to tell. I started this so you get a glimpse of the emotion behind every photo and the story behind each smile. I hoped to bring back the age-old tradition of oral story-telling where our elders would sit and spin a yarn or two about their lives” said Phubz.

In the beginning, Humans of Thimphu was fueled purely by Phubz’s creative energy but now the page has expanded to a team of six motivated individuals fulfilling roles as photographers, graphic designers, content writers and editors. As a project delivered during a pandemic, the team fully utilizes online communication applications to virtually discuss new, upcoming stories as well as to motivate and support each other. Not allowing the challenging global situation to affect their work, the Humans of Thimphu team is driven by the passion to discover stories waiting to be shared. Thriving and expanding, Phubz describes the push to be inclusive of those who can’t read or see by starting their very own Podcast, so that more can enjoy the inspiring stories and feel connected. He emphasizes that the driving mission of the initiative is to bring people closer in a time when we must remain physically at a distance from each other,

“With Humans of Thimphu, I have met various kinds of people along the way, each with their own lesson to teach. At the end of the day, it always helps you realize that you are not the only one facing such times. It reminds me of the importance of being resilient no matter what; you must learn to bounce back and stay on track as best as you can.” said Phubz encouragingly.

Humans of Thimphu is all about the power of human connection, to remind us to be authentic as possible as we may see ourselves reflected in others. From stories about pain, love, growth and healing, each narrative shares a common trait of courage through the act of sharing a vignette of their lives,

“No story is good or bad. Every story is beautiful and helpful in its own way and acts as a light for others in their own problems and troubles. The stories of our people inspire us and give us a reason to fall in love, to do more, to do better, to be hopeful in life and to never stop exploring yourself as well as the world around you.” Phubz enthused.