I think it has to be writing every time.
I feel like writing is the tool we use to build a story, and if you don't have the proper tools, you can't build it.
It would be like trying to build a house with a toolbox of full of kitchen utensils, or trying to cook a four course meal with hammers and screwdrivers.
Personally, I think that can be shown to be empirically false. Just take a look at all the massively-popular works where the writing is of mediocre quality at best. The authors are clearly tapping into something else, and I think that is via story-telling. You can get away with mediocre writer if you're a great story-teller, but if you're a fantastic writer in terms of technical proficiency but can't tell a story, no one is going to read your work.