IndieWeb Carnival: Natural creativity

I spend the vast majority of my time doing creative work. I code for a living, sometimes I design for a living. I code as a hobby, sometimes I do design as a hobby. I also write. Being creative ain’t easy. At least not for me. I sit at my desk, staring at the same screen day after day and sometimes it’s hard to find inspiration. But every time I find myself stuck I can get unstuck with one simple trick: I leave.

My creative environment is when I’m outside, not trying to do anything creative. And this is especially true when I’m walking in nature. I’m not the first one to realise that there’s a connection between walking in nature and creativity. There’s something about moving through space that makes my brain work differently.

Nature is, more often than not, my creative environment. Back in 2019, I started a very random project called From the Summit. It was an attempt to capture this exact phenomenon, the bursts of creativity born from moving through space. It’s easily my favourite digital experiment.

At the end of the day though, the only environment that matters, when it comes to creativity, is the mental space I’m in. That’s why I find nature so useful. The cadence of the walk, the sounds, the light, the smell. All the senses are engaged when I’m outside in nature and as a result, my brain becomes more creative.

The next time you’re creatively stuck, if you can, go for a walk in nature. You won’t regret it.

This post was part of May's IndieWeb Carnival on the topic of Creative environments. If you have a blog, consider writing something for this month's theme. And if you don't have a blog I encourage you to start one. Blogging is fun!