Get Creative: Unplug
Nature is all around us, but most of us can’t be bothered to take the time to look up from our phones (or work) to enjoy it. Stress levels in America were on the rise in 2016– and do we really have to wonder why?
The constant need to interact, react, record, and maintain a cyber presence has had a negative impact on the health of millions. We may have a presence on the internet, but do we have one in our every day life? Or are we simply floating along?
UNPLUG!
Nature has been proven to reduce stress and increase creativity. Go on a hike! Find a location that absolutely takes your breath away. Being in nature and away from distractions (phones, tablets, computers) restores our ability to focus and gives us the opportunity to have more complex thoughts. After a study in 2012 it was found that hikers were 50% more creative after spending time in nature. Searching for creativity? A little hint of inspiration? GO OUTSIDE.
Do you remember the Romantic movement? Independence? Rebellion? During this literary movement artists strongly believed in the power of the imagination and its ability to heal. Heal ourselves, heal the world. Look to any poetry by Wordsworth or Shelley and you will see lines referencing nature and its power. Why? Because nature brings to life the mind and emotion.
You don’t have to become a hermit in the woods, just set your phone down and go for a walk among the grass and trees.
“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”– Rousseau
Unplug and unchain.
Katrina Thornley 
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