​In my next book, Find Your Burren, I am looking at ways to inspire creativity, particularly by going out into nature for an extended period of time (because the latest science is finding that this can stimulate creative thoughts)…  then following that up by retreating to a private workspace for another extended period of time. I’m calling this the “Outside In” method. And I’m asking volunteers to try out this method for a day to see if/how it works for them.

 

If you’re coming to this web page, you’ve probably already received a brief description of the experiment, asking that participants:

• Commit to giving 5 hours of their time, during a single day, to this experiment—which can be done any day in the next 3 months (through mid-November 2025).

• Choose an idea, a goal, or a creative project that they’re willing to spend a day thinking about and working on.

• On the day in question, choose and go to a place in nature and then spend at least 2 hours thinking about the goal or project.  

• Later that same day, retreat to a private workspace to work for at least 3 hours, unplugged and uninterrupted, on the idea/project in question.

• At some later time, report back to me on results.

 

What follows are some additional guidelines and suggestions.  

 

On choosing your “creative focus”

 

To do this experiment, you’ll need to choose something to focus on and work on—a project, a plan, an idea, a goal. This may require asking yourself: What is a project or initiative that I’d like to devote more time to? Is there an idea in the back of my mind that I’d like to bring to the surface—and put some real thought and effort into it?

 

I’d like people to choose something that has an element of creativity or at least the possibility of bringing fresh ideas and creative thought to it. Whatever you choose, this is the thing you’ll focus on during your outdoor time and your indoor work session.

 

If you’re a writer or artist, it may be easier to choose your “creative focus”—you might simply zero in on one piece of writing or one artistic project. If so, my one tip is: The more specific the better. When I do this exercise myself, I tend not to focus on my whole book but on one section or chapter. Or I may tackle a particular problem I’m having with the book and how to solve it.

 

But I don’t want to limit this experiment to artists or people regularly involved in creative activities; I think creativity can be applied by all of us, in many different ways. For non-artists, you may want to tackle work-related projects or issues—how to bring a new approach or fresh idea into your work in general or to a particular work project. It may be a great time to focus in on an entrepreneurial startup idea that you’ve thought about in the past.

 

Or maybe you want to tackle a life issue: A potential career shift or thinking about a “second chapter” phase of your life that could involve moving to a new place or designing a different lifestyle. Perhaps there is a family dynamic that you’d like to give more thought and effort to—ways to improve certain relationships or create more family time. Maybe you’re looking to contribute to your community or a group you belong to. Or it could be that there is a particular cause that’s meaningful to you, and you would like to find an interesting, creative way to be a part of it.

 

The possibilities are endless. The key is to decide on one of those possibilities before the day of the experiment, and then make it your singular focus on that day. And remember this experiment is about creativity—so whatever you choose to focus on, you should be trying to bring some element of creativity (new ideas, fresh approaches, a more in-depth and thoughtful plan) to it.

 

Once you’ve chosen your creative focus, you may want to do a little advance thinking or perhaps even advance research on it. Consider questions like: Why is this idea important to me? What is most difficult or challenging about it? What am I hoping might come out of a day spent working on this?

 

On choosing your outdoor place/activity

 

This experiment is partly about nature’s effects on creativity, so choose a place that has strong elements of nature: greenery, fresh air, bodies of water, plant life, birds, woodsy trails, mountain views, ocean breezes, lush gardens. You may find some of these elements at a local park, seashore, or nature preserve. You may find that your ideal spot is in your own backyard or farther afield.

  

I have several places that are my go-to spots for creative walks.  What seems to work best are places that are not crowded or “touristy”—the Grand Canyon is awesome, but not a good place for a creative walk. Beaches can be great, but not if they’re packed with swimmers and sunbathers. Find a place where there isn’t a lot of noise, activity, and distractions. I also recommend choosing places that are relatively easy to walk around but also large enough to give you room to roam.

 

Walking is the best creative activity for me (and many other people), but alternative low-intensity activities—kayaking, fishing, dog-walking, bird-watching—can also work. I don’t recommend running, rock-climbing or other more demanding activities because they can distract you from focusing on creative thinking and mind-wandering.

 

Once you’re out in nature

 

The main thing is to spend enough time—two hours or more. You need that much time to fully relax and become immersed in nature. This doesn’t mean you need to be moving the whole time; lots of rest breaks are fine, and you can move at a leisurely pace. You may even want to spend half your time, say, sitting and gazing at a lake or ocean—but do make sure you get up and walk along that shore for at least half the time.

 

It’s okay during your nature time to just “be present,” enjoy the surroundings and let your mind wander where it will go. But also try to remind yourself, periodically, about your focus topic—to try to steer your thinking and mind-wandering in that direction, when possible.

 

Bring a notebook/pen or some type of recorder with you and try to capture relevant ideas and thoughts that come into your head.

 

Take deep breaths. Breathing helps with thinking.

 

Be observant of your natural surroundings; use your sense of smell and touch to better connect with those surroundings.

 

Important: Try to disconnect from technology as much as possible during your hours in nature. Use the phone only for emergency calls or navigational help. Limit photo taking (unless your creative focus involves photography). And absolutely no social media, news/entertainment, or email. Basically keep the phone stashed away the whole time, or nearly the whole time.

 

Going to work in your “cave”

 

Do this the same day as your nature walk, though you can take a break in between (up to a few hours, if needed).

 

Your “cave” should be a private, enclosed space: a home office, a quiet corner desk at the library. A coffee shop can work if it’s not too chaotic and you use headphones. I sometimes rent a motel room or Airbnb cabin that is close to the nature spot I’m using and that rented room becomes my cave. The most important quality of a cave is that it be a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

 

Stay in the cave working for at least 3 hours. Research shows that we are at our most productive in a 3 to 4 hour stretch, before burnout begins to happen.

 

Be forewarned that this can be hard—you’ll probably get the urge to quit early, saying to yourself either “this isn’t working” or “I’ve done enough in one hour, I’m satisfied.”

 

If you can stick it out, you’re more likely to get better results.

 

You can (and should) take breaks during this period, but keep them very short—10 minutes or less, to perhaps step outside for a breath of fresh air and to stretch muscles. But then get back to your work. Try to stay offline in the cave—no social media, email, etc.

 

In terms of what you’re actually doing in the cave, think of it this way: You’re trying to give form and substance to ideas/thoughts pertaining to your chosen “creative focus.” Your goal in the cave is to create some kind of “takeaway”—something that you will (hopefully) return to, after this experiment is done. This could be a piece of writing; a sketch or other form of art (which can be rough); a detailed plan of action; a written proposal to yourself or to others (e.g., a 10-page pitch to investors); a chart; a prototype (model/blueprint) of something you’d like to create, either online or in the physical world; a detailed mission statement (for your life, your family, your business). Whatever it is, make it as thorough and as creative as possible in 3 to 4 hours of work.

 

Finally, as you wrap up your work session, think about next steps. What are some things you could potentially do with this “takeaway” you’ve created?

 

Reporting back on your results

 

After you’re done with this one-day experiment—ideally sometime in the following week or two, while it’s still fresh in mind—I’d like to learn how it went for you. Please be honest—if the process didn’t work for you, or the results were underwhelming, I can learn from that, just as much as I can learn from success stories. I’d like to know how the outdoor part went, as well as the indoor part: How was the experience, what resulted, what did you learn, what might you do differently if you tried it again.

 

You can write back to me by email, or if it’s easier, we can discuss by phone. I may ask you if I can quote you in the book—but if you’re not interested in that, I can also use anonymous quotes as well.

  

Thanks for participating in this creative experiment. I hope it yields positive results for you.