How I Turn Nature Walks Into Creative Writing

When creativity hits me and I get more from a walk than just good exercise and a clear mind

On a walk in the past, I had something in mind I wanted to capture. A topic in my head that lead the way I walked and it lead the way I took pictures. But throughout the trip, I continued to shoot various other things as well.

And so it comes, by the end of the evening, I had three titles with enough photographs for three articles together.

Walking activates my creative mind

I guess it has to do with the walking. When you walk, you move your body. Endorphins get activated and you get placed into a better mood. Someone with a positive mood is more likely to get creative thoughts than someone hanging on the couch not motivated to do anything.

It’s a short form of the process. But that’s basically what happens when I go for a walk. Sometimes I’m sure not in a mood for it. But once I get going my mood lifts with every step I take.

And as my mood rises I start thinking about the future — near and far. I begin to dream or maybe my thoughts swing back to some great memories I made in the past.

And whatever it is that keeps my mind busy at that moment, it also activates my creative side. My thoughts start going wild and I’m beginning to write sentences. In my mind.

Time to head back and catch all that inspired creativity.

Nature inspires me

Talking about inspiration brings me to the next part of my walks.

Nature.

That is the second essential part of this composition. Next to physical movement, nature comes into place. Nature is the most amazing thing we have on earth. Without nature, we wouldn’t exist. And in nature, we can find so much breathtaking beauty.

With the right mindset. Which we have. Since we’re on a walk, see above.

Nature used to inspire me as a child to draw, paint and illustrate whatever I saw out there. Today, nature inspires me to write. A lot. I love writing about and in nature.

Photography is my save button

Sometimes I'm out there and through all the walking and all the amazing things I see in front of me I have so many ideas. Ideas what to write about. Ideas about topics, plans, or experiences I’ve made. And all those ideas I want to catch before they’re gone.

But while I usually don’t carry a notebook or my tablet with me when I go for walks (I try to have as little distraction around me as possible), I always do have my camera with me.

So while I see a tree, a certain flower, or a constellation of rocks, I shoot those things. And by capturing them in a specific angle I save the thoughts with those photographs.

Later when I’m home, I copy the pictures onto my tablet, select the good ones, insert them into a draft and start writing.

With each picture popping up, my thoughts come back and I can recall (most of) my ideas from the previous walk. It doesn’t always work 100 percent. But it works pretty well. For me.

As a passionate photographer and nature-inspired writer.

Final words

Sometimes I get out there and just need to free my mind. When I have too much stress going on in my life and don’t have space for creative writing all I need to get out there and relax. When I return I feel more at ease with my situation and take on one chore at a time to get things done.

But sometimes I go out there with ideas in mind already. And then the objects just fly towards me. I keep shooting everything that appears in front of me. And when I get back my fingers just fly across the keyboard. They won’t stop. For hours.

So this is how I work. And how my creative mind works. It’s a cooperative operation between physical movement, nature, and my camera. They work as a team.

Unbeatable.

Now you know my way of approaching things. My style of getting inspired and receiving creative inputs.

What do you do when you feel down? What helps you to clear your mind and how do you get your creative side going? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a reply or respond with a piece of writing.

Thanks.

Here is some of my nature writing from three different continents:

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