Immersing Yourself in Nature Can Spark the Creative Muse
It's no secret that immersing oneself in nature can reduce stress and improve overall quality of life. We believe in this heartily at Stonehaven Catskills and we encourage our residents and guests to take advantage of all that our location has to offer: Walks along the Delaware River. Hikes through the forest. Mornings spent watching the roosting bald eagles and listening to the migrating warblers. Evenings that end with a glimpse of the Milky Way and a glimpse of a shooting star. All of these experiences offer opportunities to reconnect with the natural world.
But, did you know that being in nature can also excite the creative spark?
It's in our DNA
Humans have walked the earth for millions of years in the face of unknown obstacles and life-threatening challenges in order to secure food and shelter. These tricky circumstances required them to come up with very creative solutions, often very quickly, in order to survive a very inhospitable world.
The development of these impulses to overcome obstacles and provide solutions is what has allowed mankind to propagate and thrive for all these millenia. It is also what lies at the heart of the creative impulse.
Thankfully, most of us no longer have to hunt a woolly mammoth or defend ourselves against a saber-toothed tiger in the wild in order to access food, clothing, and shelter. Having such security in life means that our creative impulses can now be focused elsewhere: The imagination we may have needed in order to find clean water can now be utilized for the composition of a melody. The energy we may have needed to forage for food can now be used for seeking a better solution to a design project. Instead of weaving fibers to create our clothing, we can weave words for the next act of our screenplay.
A remedy for modern burnout
Phones, laptops, apps, and entertainment consistently vie for our attention in the 21st century. Our brains are occupied and belabored by a constant onslaught of media. It exhausts our minds and eventually our bodies. Being in the natural environment, however, provides us with a break from the fatigue and burnout that accompanies living in a technologically advanced world.
Recent studies show that our minds experience diminished frustration and higher meditative qualities during respites in a green space (park, nature trail, forest, garden, etc). When this happens, we allow our minds to wander as our attention to external stimuli begins to lapse.
These are the perfect conditions for inspiration. This is when the lightning strikes, so to speak. And, there are plenty of ways to create this ideal environment at Stonehaven Catskills.
Create art in the wild
Most creatives have at least one (if not a thousand) journals, notepads, or sketch pads on hand at all times. Grab your favorite and get comfortable beneath the pagoda. Or, if it's cold outside, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee and sit at the big dining room table. Either seat provides a postcard view of the cliffs and river that inspired the Transcendentalists. Let it inspire you, too.
Explore the local flora and fauna
Perspective is everything and sometimes we need to step outside of our comfort zones to get a fresh point of view. Immerse yourself in The Stonehaven River Ritual. Photograph the many raptors, warblers, and water birds that migrate or make the River their home. Investigate the produce at the farmer's market. Try out a wine bar in nearby Narrowsburg. Pick up some local cheese you've never tasted.
Remember: Exploration leads to expansion and expansion leads to ingenuity.
Practice mindfulness with the locals
The tranquility of natural environs quite literally allows our nervous systems to function better [link to other article here]. Meditate on the colors of a nearby Monarch butterfly. Focus on the sound of a ruby-throated hummingbird's wings. Breathe in the scent of red spruce and balsam fir. Savor the taste of maple syrup. Allow your senses to restore themselves and they will pay you back with the clarity of mind to create great things.
Finally, however and wherever you choose to engage with nature during your stay at Stonehaven Catskills, we ask you to remember to leave no trace. Nature is a perpetual source of inspiration for us. Let's do our part to care for Her.
Further Reading
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creative-insights/202211/how-exposure-nature-influences-creativity
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051474
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1618866715000138
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2014/834360
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494405801847
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494413000959
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9363772/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204615000286
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3520840/
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1510459112
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494413000893
https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2010_RyanWeinstenEtAl_JEVP.pdf
https://neurosciencenews.com/nature-bain-impact-18926/
https://unplugged.rest/blog/5-ways-nature-can-nurture-your-creativity
https://www.calaes.com/blog/unleashing-creativity-and-imagination-in-the-great-outdoorshttps://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/question/how-does-nature-influence-human-creativity/
https://anitalouiseart.com/5-ways-spending-time-in-nature-helps-artistic-inspiration/
