I love to be in nature. There is something magical about being outdoors and seeing a beautiful sunset on the beach.
Spending time in nature can help your artistic inspiration in 5 different ways: 1) getting us out of the studio to see something new, 2) doing as the en Plein air painters and seeing art in a new light, 3) boosting our creativity, 4) helping us unblock an artistic block, and 5) clearing our minds so we can be more creative. Nature continues to be one of the most potent natural medicines around. There are many health benefits to getting outdoors and taking a walk.
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Five Benefits of Nature for Boosting Artistic Creativity
Nature has long been a muse for artists across various disciplines, offering a wellspring of profound and inexhaustible inspiration. Immersing oneself in the natural world opens up a treasure trove of sensory experiences, textures, colors, and patterns that can ignite the creative spark in unique and unexpected ways.
In this exploration, we delve into the five key ways that spending time amidst nature rejuvenates the soul and significantly enhances artistic inspiration.
The relationship between nature and creativity is as old as art itself. From the lush, verdant landscapes of the Impressionists to the nature-inspired motifs in traditional arts worldwide, the natural environment has always provided a canvas for artists to express their deepest emotions and thoughts.
This connection is not merely about visual stimulation; it’s about how nature interacts with our senses, thoughts, and emotions. Engaging with the natural world encourages artists to slow down, observe minutely, and connect with their surroundings more deeply. This immersion leads to heightened mindfulness, opening doors to new perspectives and ideas.
Furthermore, nature acts as a catalyst for breaking creative blocks. The tranquility and solace offered by a quiet forest, a serene beach, or a bustling garden can be the perfect antidote to the noise and distractions of daily life.
Such environments allow artists to disconnect from the pressures of their routine, offering a space for introspection and exploration. In these moments of solitude and peace, the mind can wander, dream, and create without boundaries.
In the following sections, we will explore these benefits in more detail, illustrating how nature can be an artist’s most loyal companion in their creative journey.
Nature Gets Us Out of the Studio
If you are an artist like me who mainly paints in a studio setting, getting outside can help with artist inspiration. There is something extraordinary about painting as the sun is shining around you.
If we stay in the studio too much, we are limited by what we see in our studio. This can limit our perception of the world and also our artistic inspiration.
By getting out into nature, we can increase our worldview and inspiration. For example, by hiking in nature, we may see a rock and think, I want to paint an abstract of that rock and then we start to see the colors in our mind.
We can only be inspired by nature if we actually go out into nature. This can maybe be more important now than at any other time as the world is dealing with issues like the Coronavirus. To really gain artistic inspiration an artist needs to get outside into nature to see the world differently than just the walls of their art studio.
Nature Help Us See A New World of Art
The Impressionist en Plein air painters taught us the importance of studying and understanding light and nature. They also showed us how this could only be done by getting outdoors.
If you are interested in finding out more about the en Plein art movement, you can read our blog on All About En Plein Air Painting, What You Need to Know by clicking here.
Some things that the en Plein art movement taught about art and nature:
- Color – if you ever had to match any colors, you know natural sunlight is the best light to do this. The en Plein air painters understood this as they knew that being in nature and outdoors helps us to understand color and to recognize color differences and color shades and how they are affected by light.
- Light – Being in nature is also a study of light. Whether it is watching a beautiful sunset, sunrise, or even the sun blaring on a hot summer day. All of these help you to see light, shadow, and colors in a new way.
- Artistic Inspiration – The en Plein air painters understood one of the most incredible places to go for inspiration was in nature. They understood that nature gave them a limitless amount of things to paint; if they went out into nature, they would never run out of artistic inspiration.
Nature Boasts Your Creativity
Being out in nature is known to help boost your creativity. The University of Utah and the University of Kansas did a study between 56 people – 30 men and 26 women. They participated in a 4 to 6-week wilderness trip. No electronic devices were allowed on the trip.
One group was given the creativity test before they went on their excursion, and the other after they had been out in nature for four days. The group who took the creativity test after being in nature for four days did at least 50% better than those who took it before they started their journey.
In speaking of their research results, David Strayer, a professor of psychology at the University of Utah, said:
“This is a way of showing that interacting with nature has real, measurable benefits to creative problem-solving that really hadn’t been formally demonstrated before.”
David Strayer
Nature Can Unblock Artistic Block
If you are experiencing the ever dreadful artistic block and are unsure what to paint, nature has been shown to help not only boost your creativity but also to help inspire you.
The great architect Frank Lloyd Wright understood this well. He admonished us to:
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature, it will never fail you.”
Frank lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright understood what so many other artists have understood: that the greatest way to get artistic inspiration is to go out in nature.
A Walk In Nature Can Clear Your Mind
If you are feeling stuck or just low on energy, this can affect your ability to produce art. Depression, stress, and a host of other things can zap your creative energy and artistic inspiration.
Stanford University did an experiment where one group of subjects walked in nature, and one group walked in an urban environment. They found that those who walked in nature had better mental health than those in the urban environment. They were able to link nature and our mental health.
Stanford University also found that walking in nature can help you clear your mind and improve your overall mental health. Anything good for your mental health can also directly impact your artistic inspiration.
If you are feeling stuck, uninspired, or feel you are missing out on artistic inspiration, go out and spend some time in nature. According to all the studies that have been conducted, it will significantly help improve your mental health and creativity.
Anita Louise Art is dedicated to art education, great artists, and inspiring others to find and create their art. We love art that uplifts and inspires. #ArtToMakeYouSmile! #ArtToMakeYouHappy!
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Related Questions
How Can I Find Art Inspiration?
Every artist needs to look for ways to find artistic inspiration in the world around them. If you know how and where to look the world is filled with art inspiration.
We have outlined five tips to help you find art inspiration: 1) get artistic eyes, 2) take inspirational photos, 3) study the work of the art masters, 4) try to copy the work of the art masters, and 5) draw in an art journal. All of these techniques will help you to find artistic inspiration.
To discover more about this, you can read our blog on 5 Tips for Finding Art Inspiration To Help You Improve Your Painting by clicking here.
What Are Some Life-changing Skills That Art Helps You Develop?
No matter what age you are, there are a lot of positive things that you can learn from art. Any kind of art will help you to develop important life-changing skills.
We have outlined our top 10 life-changing skills art helps you will develop as 1) Creativity, 2) Observation, 3) Self-expression, 4) Memory, 5) Focus, 6) Concentration 7) Discipline, 8) Perseverance, 9) Collaboration, and 10) Risk-taking.
To find out more, you can read our blog on 10 Top Life-changing Skills Art Helps You Develop by clicking here.
