Why I Tell Stories: How Nature and Emotion Make Content Worth Remembering

Some days, when the blank page stares back at me with more resistance than possibility, I don’t force it. I step away from the screen, load my dog Denali in the truck, and head toward the mountains, or if time allows, the water.

There’s something sacred that happens when I’m out there... whether I’m hiking through dense pine forests or gliding silently across an alpine lake.

The chaos falls away.

The constant, low hum of pressure quiets.

I can breathe. Really breathe.

Out there, I’m not a content strategist, not a deadline-chaser, not anything but a speck, a grateful, wide-eyed speck beneath the endless, majestic sweep of the Rockies.

And that’s where stories live, well at least, where mine do.

Why Storytelling Matters, Now More Than Ever

If you're a writer, marketer, or creator of any kind, you’ve probably heard that storytelling is the secret to successful content. But let me go deeper: storytelling isn’t a trick. It’s how we’re wired.

Stories don’t just entertain us, they make us feel something. They build trust. They hold our attention longer. And in a digital world that scrolls faster than most of us can think, that emotional anchor is gold.

But more importantly? Stories connect us to something real and these days, that’s what we all crave.

Hiking Through the Noise

Whenever I lace up my boots and head into the mountains, it’s like a reset button for my brain. The weight of the world, emails, noise, pressure, expectations, falls away with each step. I can hear my own thoughts again. Or sometimes, I don’t need to hear anything at all.

The smell of damp earth, the whisper of wind through spruce trees, the sudden, electrifying burst of spotting a hawk overhead, it all grounds me. I become small in the best way, like an ant crawling across the back of something ancient and wise. The forest doesn’t care about my to-do list. And somehow, that makes me better at everything on it.

It’s in that space, stress-free, connected, alert but calm, that my best writing often finds me.

The Lake That Wrote a Chapter

Last week, I headed out on Whiteswan Lake, deep in the Kootenays in British Columbia. I’d gone to finish a few hard chapters of my book. I decided on 2 days, loaded up the camping gear, kayak and Denali, brought food, my laptop, camera, and low expectations. But as I slipped across the lake’s blue-green water with Denali nestled beside me, I felt a shift.

The sun was warm, the breeze gentle, the only sounds were birdsong and the soft lap of water against the shore. A few weeks before while paddling with a friend, we found a hidden spot at the far edge of the lake, and when I arrived I was completely alone. Just me, my dog, and the rhythm of stillness.

And in that quiet space, something opened. Words poured out, not the ones I came to write, but the ones I needed to. A chapter I didn’t even know was waiting inside me found its way to the page.

That’s what nature does.It doesn’t just inspire creativity, it reveals it.

Nature’s Lessons in Storytelling

I recently read an article from Colorado State University that outlined the top 5 health benefits of interacting with nature, and it was no surprise to me that every single one mirrors what good storytelling can do. Here’s how:

1. Nature and Stories Reduce Stress

Whether I’m hiking up into the alpine meadows or paddling a glassy lake, I feel the stress unravel. Storytelling has the same effect. When we read something that reflects our own truth or shows us a different way to see, it soothes something inside us.

Content tip: Start with what’s real. Let people feel understood.

2. They Lift Your Mood

It’s hard to stay in a funk when you’re surrounded by birdsong, fresh air, and sky that stretches forever. Great stories offer that same lift, making us laugh, cry, or just feel a little more alive.

Write with joy. Write with heartbreak. Just don’t write to impress, write to connect.

3. They Clear Your Mind

After just 20 minutes in nature, cognitive function improves. I can vouch for that. When I return from the woods, I can see what’s next. The mental clutter dissolves.

A well-structured story does the same, it organizes thought, simplifies the message, and clears a path for the reader to follow.

4. They Spark Creativity

The wild is where my imagination runs free. I see metaphors in birdcalls, in moss, in the way sunlight dapples through the trees. Nature offers infinite ways to think differently.

Storytelling becomes richer when you’ve been outside and let your senses lead.

Let your creativity breathe. The best ideas rarely come while you're staring at a blinking cursor.

5. They Build Connection

Even when I’m alone in the woods, I never feel lonely. Nature reminds me that I belong. Stories, when done well, do the same. They say, “You’re not the only one.”

Whether you’re writing for a brand, a blog, or a book, if you can make your reader feel seen, you’ve done your job.

Final Thoughts: Tell It Like You Lived It

When you sit down to write your next piece of content, start with this question:

What do I actually feel about this?

Then tell the truth.

For me, that truth lives in the forest, on mountaintops, in the quiet of lakes, and in the wild rush of bird wings overhead. That’s where I remember why I write.

And maybe that’s where your next story begins, too.