A dance with nature: How natural environments can enhance creativity

One idea that is important to explore when researching dance‘s relevance in open natural spaces, is the fact that nature has been proven to have a positive impact on creativity.

When looking back in history, in order for humans to survive they had to place trust in bodily affects to distinguish between spaces that were secure or insecure, and those affects were and are triggered in natural environments. However, in modern society‘s urban spaces humans can not rely on those bodily affects, but have to rather use logical thinking to navigate themselves in resemblance to the ‘affect-element’, which can often lead to stress and fatigue. This ability to place trust in bodily affects to examine the space one is in, is one of the reasons why most humans are drawn towards natural environments (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.257). Furthermore, this is in line with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s suggests in his book The Stress Solution (2018). There he dedicates a whole chapter on how spending time in nature can reduce stress and symptoms of anxiety. Furthermore, the Japanese method of forest bathing, or Shinrin-Yoku, that involves immersing oneself in nature and mindfully using all five senses, has been proven to have a positive effect on mental health (Hansen, et al, 2017). As a self-reflection, in relation to the information above, stressful situations tend to reduce my creative capacity. I find it more difficult to focus on the creative task at hand, as my attention is automatically directed towards the feeling of anxiety or stress. It is interesting to think that sometimes stress can be evoked solely by the type of environment you are in.

The Danish study cited previously, was done on creative professionals, and explores how and if natural environments have a positive effect on creativity and creative enhancement (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015). Interviews with the creative professionals demonstrated that most of them found that nature helped stimulate their creativity by cultivating new ideas, increasing creative problem solving, and synthesising and organising ideas (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.259). The last factor is due to greater directed-attention abilities (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.260). Similarly, Richard Louv, an author of numerous books relating to humans’ disconnection to nature, talks about how children with attention disorders can benefit from spending time in natural environments (Louv, 2008).

One creative described how nature influenced her creative preparation in this way: ‘Nature is one of my biggest sources of inspiration [...] it has something to do with the shapes and especially constructions of nature. [. . .] When I look at the shapes, it is visually very exciting. It is the starting point of all my work’ (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.260). The shapes and construction of nature she mentions are the fractals that I have been researching for my own choreographic practice. This ever-evolving geometry embedded in nature is something that I have related to a free-flow of thoughts. As it has been described as both a ‘pattern of chaos’ and a ‘pattern of change’ (Sigma Documentaries, 2021, 01:00), I find that for myself, it encourages me to become fully immersed in the task I am doing.

The study even mentions the types of natural environments that best help with enhancing creativity, and they are categorized into ‘Nature’, ‘Serene’ and ‘Space’ (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.260). Nature, is described as a place that represents curiosity and where you get positively challenged and surprised. Serene represents calm and peaceful places that are said to reduce stress, often involving sounds, e.g. water. Finally, Space is an environment that offers ‘peace, quietness, and beauty’, and is said to help cultivate creative thought processes (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.260). In contrast, some of the creatives described urban environments, that had more man-made structures, as creatively-hindering: ‘When something is trimmed, the human being is in control, which is the opposite of letting you surrender to something bigger than yourself - creativity is where you do not control’ (Plambech & Konijnendijk van den Bosch, 2015, pp.261).

This information is highly relevant when I consider my line of enquiry in relation to choreographic practices. This also underpins the value of the practitioners who I have previously written about and who’s practice I have incorporated into my own. E.g. Suprapto Suryodarmo uses free movement as one of the fundamental elements of his practice (Amerta Movement UK, n.d), which is in line with the information above regarding the free flow of natural geometry. His idea about how each moment, involving both movement and environment, being in constant flux is of great interest to me choreographically. I have found when I take my practice outside, that even stillness has a greater impact than when I am inside, because the space around me is in constant motion and rearrangement. Therefore, as I am choreographing I need to remember that even though I am making for e.g. five people, the environment itself will add multiple elements that I can consider into the phrase or the movements.

Perhaps that is one way nature is enhancing creativity; it is an integral part of the final picture. Rather than thinking about dancing in nature, it is about dancing with nature, which again brings me to my line of enquiry: Blurring the lines between body and environment.