Why our creative brains thrive in nature

It's core to meaning-making + self-discovery 🌳

Hey there,

DD HQ here. Did you know that there’s a ‘secret bond’ between our minds and nature?

Sounds very mysterious if you ask us. But, it’s actually the core tenant of German philosopher, Friedrich Schilling’s main POV: “we are part of nature - not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically, too.”

At Daydreamers, we’ve been thinking a lot about the symbiotic relationship between nature and our creative, imaginative brains - not only from a scientific or historical perspective, but as a component of daily life.

So much of the DD journey incorporates the natural world, like foraging for creative tools or preserving 🌳 elements you’ve collected. And we’ve seen time and time again that so many of our Early Access members recharge their imaginations in nature [ 👀 examples from our community Discord below!].

So, why is it that we think our imagination occurs in a vacuum? And, even more - that spending more time in nature doesn’t impact our sense of fulfillment and purpose?

If we could blame everything on the Industrial Revolution, we would.

We kid, we kid - but it was about 200 years ago that we humans began to rationalize our relationship with the outside world. We started categorizing everything from trees to weather in order to make sense of an increasingly complex world. The more we rationalized, the more productive we became.

But, no matter how hard we try, we can’t think our way out of our emotions. As Schelling said: “Being in nature — meandering through a forest or walking up a hill — was always a self-discovery, a journey into oneself.”

Interestingly, creative expression is also a core facet of self-discovery. It helps us understand our place in the world, and how connected we all are - just like being in nature does. Most importantly, both allow us to feel and notice beauty without abandon, two vital elements of living a full, emotionally-deep life.

Since ancient times, creative thinkers have known the healing power of nature for their mind. They’ve escaped to forests in order to write. And, in cultures from Ancient Egypt to current Japan, experts prescribe spending time outside as a form of mental well-being (as always, modern science is validating the impact of it.)

So, next time you think that creativity is just an indoor activity - think again. Your creative brain is a part of nature, and being in it helps us all thrive.

Katina + Dupi

and the entire team @ DD HQ

we’re pulling members from our 15,000+ person waitlist, finally, to join DD Early Access! make sure you’re on it 👇🏽

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An idea to noodle on 💭

Nature and our creative brains have a symbiotic relationship

THINK ON THIS: Since ancient times, humans have found healing, imaginative power in the outdoors. Harvard psychologist Edward Wilson popularized the term ‘biophilia,’ which is our genetically-wired need for nature. Because of its ability to generate wonder + awe, two elements of our creative brain, we’ve evolved to stay connected to our fellow humans and the planet.

…MAYBE NOT THAT: Creative expression isn’t just an indoor activity - in fact, being in nature doesn’t just feel good, it actually enhances our creative thinking. Research shows that spending time outside plays a deeply important role in the first two phases of the creative process by increasing openness + mental flexibility 💭

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The DD universe is expanding 🌌  

Our team is bursting @ the seams - and we’re excited to expand our universe. We receive emails from our crew almost daily about how to join our team, so this is the time!

RN we’re building our Brain Trust: facilitators, behavioral psychologists, counselors, social workers, educators, recreational / occupational therapists we’re looking at you 👀 read this quick description + email us at DDHQ@daydreamerspace.com with your deets asap. Interviews will happen now, on a rolling basis!

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Inside our brains at DD HQ  🧠

Speaking of Earth - our (2nd) favorite company just made it their biggest stakeholder. We’re big advocates of taking big action against burnout - not just practicing ‘self-care’. Pretty sick - love this creative rejuvenation of outdoor space. A gold-rush for lunar mining?! A universe we never thought we humans would enter. Mind-wandering even has the approval of the World Economic Forum.

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Ideas from the DD Crew 🛸

This photo looks like a screen saver, but it’s actually from our private Daydreamers Discord Channel (+ Early Access Member, Matt!). Last week our Discord, we spoke about our rejuvenating experiences in nature this summer. Our consensus: not only is it a powerful way to disconnect from 📱💻🤖, but recharge our brains.

What do you think ab the relationship btwn nature, mental well-being + our creative fulfillment? Drop your ideas here - we’re all ears 🤓