Fire, Storytelling, and the Myth of Natural-Born Storytellers

I remember the first time I truly understood the power of fire. I was sitting in the middle of a desert in Nevada, miles away from my first home in London, watching the flames flicker and dance across the faces of the strangers around me. The warmth we all sought came from a single burning barrel, but my realization had little to do with its physical effects.

It was about something deeper—the unspoken rhythm of the words being spoken and the knowledge shared.

It was the dead of night, and about 13 of us were huddled around the fire, sharing stories. You might know the feeling I'm talking about—it’s subtle, almost imperceptible, but there’s an unspoken rhythm in conversation. You can sense when it’s your turn to speak, to add to the narrative. There was no one person dominating the moment; we were all contributing, shaping the conversation together. And in that moment, I felt the true power of storytelling—not as a performance, but as a shared human experience.

Fire: Humanity’s First Storytelling Platform

Long before the first paintings appeared in the Chauvet caves of southern France, before the Egyptian pyramids conveyed history through hieroglyphics, before Greek vases captured myths in terracotta—there was fire. Fire wasn’t just a tool for survival; it was humanity’s first storytelling platform.

Think about it. As our ancient ancestors gathered around those first controlled flames, they weren’t just warding off predators or cooking their latest hunt. They were doing something far more revolutionary—they were creating the world’s first social network. The firelight created a sacred space where people shared their experiences, passed down wisdom, and built stronger communities through the simple act of storytelling.

There’s something incredibly beautiful about that. The same tool that helped humanity survive is still at the core of how we connect and move through life today. We are not only tapping into a timeless survival tradition—we are also using the power of words and basic human needs and experiences.

The Myth of "Natural-Born Storytellers"

There’s a popular idea that says: "Humans are natural-born storytellers." At first, it sounds nice, even inspiring. But it’s misleading. It suggests that storytelling is something we’re just born with, rather than a skill we have to learn. And if you’ve ever struggled to tell a compelling story, you might have wondered, Am I just not cut out for this?

The reality is, storytelling is both innate and learned. Our brains are wired to think in narratives—this is why we make sense of our own lives through stories and why we’re naturally drawn to them. However, the ability to craft a good story—to structure it in a compelling way, evoke emotion, and truly engage an audience—is a skill that must be developed.

Through my own experiences—both in filmmaking and in everyday life—I’ve come to understand that storytelling isn’t just something we have, it’s something we hone. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how the right words, structure, and timing can completely transform the impact of a story. It’s a craft, one that requires practice, refinement, and sometimes failure.

Words Matter—So Let’s Use Them Intentionally

Words are powerful. They can evoke emotion, spark memories, or even drive action—this is why people need to be careful with how they use their words and how they define what we are "naturally born with." When we say humans are natural-born storytellers, we risk not only downplaying the effort and skill that go into crafting a compelling narrative but also we risk diminishing the sense of someone's self.

And that’s the key takeaway: storytelling is for everyone, but like any craft, it requires effort. It needs to be worked at, continuously improved, and adapted to stay relevant.

Also, never underestimate the power of a well-lit fire on a cold night. Some of the best, most meaningful conversations happen in its glow!