Picture yourself sitting around the fire in the evening, chatting about interesting topics to get your mind off of the hard day’s work. This is not a unique action; it is quite common and it has been for a long time. Archaeologists suggest that storytelling has its origin in the history of cooked foods through the use of campfires1. The idea is that while early humans were learning how to utilize fire as a tool, they were also using their nighttime activity as a way to develop their imaginations.
There is something about the act of telling stories that feels fundamentally human. It goes beyond the simple act of communication. When you share a story, there can be multiple messages. Maybe the story has a moral you want to impart on someone. It possibly is a way to relieve stress or emotion after a tough situation has finally concluded. Storytelling is one of the most human activities that we can partake in.
When I was finishing my master’s education, I needed to complete a research project. The topic was up to me, and I would need to gather my research and evidence before running my own project. The topic I chose was related to storytelling. In a similar vein, my undergraduate research project was about increasing oral communication in a foreign language classroom, which was heavily focused on the skills needed to tell stories. All of this to say that I have found the topic of storytelling to be incredibly relevant in my academic studies.
Now that I have finished with my studies, I still find storytelling to be fascinating. It is one of the reasons why I have decided to become a writer. Stories can be used as powerful tools, or simply as means of entertainment. And let it be known that storytelling can be done in various methods beyond the act of speaking or writing. Art, such as music or paintings, can convey stories without the need of a single word. And is there anything more unique to human than the ability to create and consume art?
1 Balter, M. (2014, September 22). Ancient campfires led to the rise of storytelling. Science.org. https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-campfires-led-rise-storytelling.
Wiederhold Writes 