Imagine yourself drinking in a sweeping view of the ocean, or snow-covered peaks, or the sun setting over harvested fields. Whatever your natural environment may be, from Alaska west to New Zealand and all the world over, a view could be key to your holiday-season and new-year sanity.
Those who find solace and inspiration in nature know this to be true. The balancing effect of a view was reinforced to me during the year I walked every day to the shore of Lake Michigan to write a poem, now collected in Unsalted Blue Sunrise. As I turned onto the street corner that reveals the lake-lined horizon, my entire being relaxed. Even in below-zero temperatures pondering the lake with all my senses never failed to bring inspiration.
What’s obvious to those who find peace in nature is also backed up by scientific research. One of the best places to find snippets of the science of place is in Donald Rattner’s book My Creative Space. Rattner, an architect and creativity scholar, demonstrates through art and science how to create personal spaces that enhance creative thinking. His suggestions can also lead to peace and stillness—and to a place where you can escape to grab precious moments of productive solitude.
As you may expect, nature is one of the design elements Rattner suggests for a calming, inspiring think-space. He cites research showing that windows enhance our lives while lack of windows can harm them. As he writes, “There is evidence that views—in particular, those that afford an influx of natural light, glimpses of natural scenery, and deep vistas—accelerate both wellness and independent thinking.”
Sweeping, windowed nature views are unattainable for many of us. And, indeed, some people need a different type of space to do their best work. The architect Philip Johnson, for example, built himself a windowless library (with skylights) for exactly this reason. He found that he couldn’t work inside the stunning 360-degree views in his Glass House. Johnson needed a cave.
But for most, nature views are a good idea. Even if your workspace is in a closet, alcove, or beneath the stairs, Rattner has solutions. You can simulate the positives of the nature effect by adding plants, natural materials, and artwork. Like Johnson’s skylights, allow as much natural light in as possible. For example, keep the closet door open if there are no windows inside it, or sit on a swivel chair to catch a view through a window behind you.
Rattner’s book depicts hundreds of enviable spaces, many that he designed himself. To me, the key message of the book and the research that underlies it is that even a tiny nook will do if you follow some key principles of design that can enhance creativity and well-being. The most poignant of these principles, to me, is to look at nature as much as possible, whether through a window or immersed in the real thing. Try it out for yourself for a fresh, contemplative start to the new year.
Copyright 2024 Kathryn P. Haydon. All Rights Reserved.