As luck would have it, this week’s Deb Ball topic coincided with my life quite well. I just returned from a mini-writers retreat on the Oregon coast. I’m pretty relaxed right now, so I’m not full of deep thoughts.
That said (I’m such a liar!), here’s what I think: I think modern life can deplete us. It can sap our inner resources, including our creativity. We are so busy, we 
sometimes don’t have time to think much less sink deep into our creative sides. We slide over the surfaces of our lives, going fast, fast, faster, hop-scotching from social media to errands to family to other responsibilities.
We can lose sight of ourselves all too easily. Here’s one of my solutions: nature. I go to the coast, walk the beach, stare at the waves. We humans are far removed from nature, and I believe allowing 
ourselves a few still moments in beautiful spots–leave your damned smartphone in the car!–is one of the greatest healers. Whether you camp, kayak, or simply sit beside a river for awhile–it all helps. I like to bring a journal, but I don’t force myself to write in it.
Do you have any favorite natural spots that help you rejuvenate?
Sing it sister! You are so right! Trying to keep all the balls in the air makes us forget to look at the sky above. (Though, bring your smart phone in case of an emergency… just don’t pull it out of your pocket!)
Thank you for the healthy reminder to ‘just be.’
Thanks for visiting, Emily! I like the way your phrase that — we do forget to look at the sky above!
I love this, Lisa. It really hit the spot today. I think I’m going to plan a nature excursion this weekend on my bike to refill the well.
Back to reality today, and I already need another nature excursion. 🙂
Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous. They seem almost too beautiful to be real!
Thanks, Susan! They’re all of the same place, but taken in different seasons over the last few years.
YES! This really, really speaks to me, Lisa.
For me, it’s the beach. I feel incomplete if I’m far away from it too long, and when I finally get to the coast a sense of peace and calm comes over me…I don’t think I’ve found it anywhere else. It reminds me of how small we are, but how lucky to be a part of something so huge as this planet and this moment.
I love that, Natalia! I grew up near the ocean, so I miss it all the time. I feel the exact same way when I go to the coast.
Any lake in Wisconsin, writing, with my dog playing in the water nearby.
I can totally imagine that. Sounds great to me — especially with a dog nearby.
I’m headed for Friday Harbor next week, thank God. Just riding the ferry across the sound helps get me settled back in my body. Yesterday I was training for a new job and it was like an out of body experience- all left brain work, no “real me” in sight for eight hours. I really don’t like that.
Ack, that’s torturous, Christina! And having to pretend to be interested too — that’s the worst of all. I bet you were exhausted by the time you got home.
There is nothing like nature to spark creativity! We spend most of the summer at the beach, and I feel so much more creative during those months! Your conference sounds amazing. What a great time to recharge!
Hi Kristy! It was a great recharge — and I came away with a game plan for revision for the first half of the current WIP. (The ending is still a hot mess, but, hey, I’m getting there!)