By Wellbeing Psychologist and Nature Therapist Amy Steadman
Summer is full of energy. Longer days, brighter light, and nature in full swing. It’s a good time to step outside and reset your routine.
Being in nature can give your mind the space it needs to think more clearly and creatively. It’s not about being artistic necessarily - it’s about solving problems, making connections, and seeing things differently.
There’s no better place to be creative than in nature. It gives your brain a break from the constant noise and distraction, so new ideas can come through more easily.
The Brain In Nature: Why Wild = Creative
Studies show that spending time in nature can increase creativity and problem solving by up to 50%
Why? Because the brain evolved in nature.
When we’re indoors, especially in tech-heavy or noisy environments, our minds are constantly scanning, filtering, and processing information. Screens, deadlines, artificial lighting - they ask a lot of us.
But outside, in nature, the brain can rest. It doesn’t have to solve the unnatural. Instead it returns to what it knows instinctively: trees, light, birdsong. This gives our default mode network (the part of the brain responsible for daydreaming and imagination) more bandwidth to play, wander, and make connections, which is the foundation of creative thinking.
Some of the greatest creative minds in history knew this:
- Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, retreats into nature during his annual “Think Week” to strategise and reflect.
- Beethoven took long afternoon walks in the woods, where many of his symphonic themes were first born.
- Virginia Woolf often wrote about walking in nature as part of her writing process.
- Agnes Martin, the minimalist painter, lived in the desert to access clarity and creative flow.
Creativity thrives when the mind is both awake and at ease. Nature gives us both.
Grounding: Creativity Starts With Connection
Walking barefoot in nature is more than a wellness trend - it’s a proven way to restore your body and recharge your mind.
Barefoot walking (or grounding) reconnects us to the Earth’s subtle electrical energy. That connection has been shown to: calm the nervous system; reduce inflammation; boost mood and serotonin (key for creativity!); improve sleep and concentration.
Walking barefoot activates thousands of nerve endings in your feet. These nerve endings send detailed sensory information to your brain, increasing your awareness of texture, temperature, and movement. The more sensory input your brain receives, the more engaged it becomes. You start to notice more, both outside and within. That heightened sensitivity is closely linked to creativity.
Meditations for Creativity
Wide Open Space - Find a wide open space with no visible limits (a meadow, a hilltop, a horizon). As you walk, let your mind stretch as far. What might be possible if there were no limits?
Return To Joy - Think of nature not just as a healer, but also as a playground. Reclaim the joy you felt as a child outdoors: inventing, imagining, exploring. Let your creativity be messy.
Nourish The Seeds - Bring to mind of one creative idea or dream you’ve been thinking about for a while. What does it need to grow? How can you make adjustments to give it the support it needs?
Let Nature Do The Work
You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment or a big idea. Just get outside. Pay attention. Let your mind clear.
Go for a walk. Take your shoes off. Let nature do what it’s good at—giving you space to think, feel, and notice what’s already there.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes to get going.
Amy’s Recommendations This Month:
Read: Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Watch: 500 Days In The Wild by Dianne Whelan
Listen: Pure Imagination - Griff cover
Do: Barefoot walk through a local forest
