health
Can trees boost our creativity? My daily forest walks have changed how I write
Ideas come more quickly, my thoughts roam freely and I’m reminded I am not the main form of life on the planet
TL;DR
- Daily walks in cool-climate eucalypt forests helped the author's mind work differently, leading to faster ideas and freer thoughts.
- Spending time in forests improves various physiological and psychological measures, including lowering blood pressure, reducing anxiety, and boosting mood.
- Research indicates that natural environments enhance creative thinking by increasing curiosity, ideas, and flexible thinking.
- The author believes forests are more than just pleasant places; they are a source of creativity due to their complex, sentient, and responsive nature.
- The novel written during a year of daily forest walks had a fragmented, 'forest-like' narrative, suggesting creativity can be a collaborative hum with the living Earth.