Few things inspire creativity quite like nature. A scenic view that
rewards you once you’ve reached the end of a trail that also reminds you how small we really are. I find inspiration in the delicate dance between tranquility and the raw, unapologetic truth of nature. Looking over Horsethief Canyon, a humbling realization washed over me. This beauty is here to be observed, but never to be controlled.
Cities and towns give us a sense of control that paints the world with a sense
of “order,” for lack of a better word. The convenience of a paved road that connects us to our favourite stores can be very comforting. We don’t have to think about what tomorrow will look like; chances are it’ll look just like yesterday. We can expect to walk out our front door and see the same things in the same place they always are. With all these comforts at our fingertips, necessities become unnecessary thoughts and vice versa. It’s not “will I eat tomorrow,” it’s “what will I eat”. Without having to worry about all the problems humans used to, you’d think we would have more time for less pressing issues such as creative expression. So why does today’s art often feel uninspired?
What was simply “I need food” has now become “what do I feel like eating?”
We are now inhibited by the “comfort” of having all our favourite foods at our fingertips.
“Overchoice or choice overload is the paradoxical phenomenon that choosing between a large variety of options can be detrimental to decision-making processes.”
-Wikipedia
This isn’t unique to deciding what’s on the dinner menu; we stress about what outfit to wear or which body wash to use. There are so many options that we believe one of them must be “right” and the rest must be wrong. This is an illusion created by an abundance of options. This process repeats throughout our day. Constantly spending our energy trying to sift through all the options and find the “right” one. Often after making the decision, we still find ourselves ruminating on it.
There’s something so peaceful about having just enough. Packing just enough
food and clothes for your camping trip. Waking up and leaving your tent not with expectations but with acceptance. You don’t expect nature to remain stagnant as our lives do in the city. You accept it for what it is, because it is beyond your control. This state of acceptance opens your mind to new and deeper ways of thinking. You don’t think about what’s for breakfast; you just cook it and eat it. You don’t try on every shirt that might work with those pants; you just throw on the outfit you already packed. Whether it’s glamping or backpacking through the backwoods, the effects of nature are unavoidable. It forces you into a state of acceptance. The idea of right and wrong isn’t imposed on us by an abundance of choice. The exhaustion of constant inconsequential decision-making doesn’t weigh us down. In nature, our mind is freed, and the creative spirit flourishes.
It is nearly impossible to step into nature without entering a creative mindset. We
look at the sky and see shapes in the clouds, hear the songs of birds, and take in the contrast of boldly coloured wildflowers. The chaotic, uncontrollable nature of wilderness takes away the illusion of “right” and “wrong”. Accepting nature for what it is frees us from the pursuit of perfection and creates space for our minds to unapologetically exist as they are.
Nature is our greatest source of inspiration—whether through a direct
interpretation of its beauty in a painting or a poem addressing the symbolic relationship it shares with human life. The art of nature truly creates itself. We simply document it.